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A NEW TREATISE 

OF THE 

DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAI 

TOWARDS GOD: , 

BEING AN IMPROVED VERSION OF THE ^ -^ ^» > 

ORIGINAL TREATT^^ i 

WRITTEN BY THE ■•• . ■ i , - -m ^ i ,«^ ^ .., J 

VEN. DE LA SALLE, 

FOUNDER OF THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS. 

The Chaptet^s and Articles are followed by Historical Examples 
relating to the Truths contained therein^ hy 

F. P. B. 

Authorized hy the Council of Public Instruction^ and approved 

by His Grace the Archbishop of JParis, by Mis Grace 

the Archbishop of Tours ^ &c,, &c. 



TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH 



nw,^ 



BY THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS. 

Approved by his JLordship the Bishop of 3Iontreal, 



WEST CHESTER; N. Y. : 
• THE NEW YORK CATHOLIC PROTECTORY, 

1872. 



The Library 
OP Cqhgkbss 






Entered, according to Att of Congress, in the year 1872, l^ 

JOHN P. MURPHY, 
in the OflBce of the Librarian of Congress, at WashingtoiL 



LC Control Number 




tmp96 028041 



Stereotyped and Printed at the New York 

Catholic Protectory, West Chester, N. Y. 



APPEOBATIOI 

DE MGR. L'ARCHEVEQUE DE PARIS. 



Hyacinthe Louis de Quelei^j par la misericorde 
divine et la grace du Saint Siege apostolique, Arclie- 
veque de Paris, etc. 

Nous avons autorise et autorisons par ces presentes 
la publication d'un livre de format in 12, ay ant pour 
titre : Nouveau Teaite des Devoirs du Chr:6tien 
e:n^vers Dieu, etc., de rimprimerie de Poussielgue, a 
Paris. Get ouvrage, qui a ete soumis a notre examen, 
nous a paru propre a faire bien connaitre, aimer, et 
pratiquer les principaux devoirs de la vie cbretienne, 
et a premunir les jeunes gens, centre les pieges tendus 
de tons cotes a Tinnocence. 

Donne a Paris, sous le seing de notre vicaire general, 
le sceau de nos armes et le contre-seing de notre 
secretaire, le dix-huit Octobre mil huit cent trente-sept. 

J. LE SUEEE, 

Vicaire General, 

Par mandement de Monseigneur TArcliev^que de 
Paris. 

MOLINIER, 

Chanoine Secretaire, 



APPROBATION OF THE ENGLISH EDITION 

BY 

HIS LORDSHIP THE BISHOP OF MOJfTREAL. 



We have examined the New Teeatise oe the 
Duties oe a Cheistia^ towaeds. God, and finding 
it conformable to the teaching of the holy Church, we 
joyfully authorize its publication. 

The fact that the work has received the approbation 
of several of the higher Ecclesiastical Authorities of 
France, and has passed through twenty-six editions, 
excludes the necessity of our eulogizing its excellence. 

Given at our Episcopal Residence this 2d of 
January, A. D. 1869. 



# IG., BISHOP OF MONTREAL. 



PREFACE. 



WHAT AM I? WHAT SHALL BECOME OF ME? 

Questions so serious and so important^ that the 
truly wise and prudent will never treat them 
inconsiderately, fully convinced that errors on 
matters of so vital a nature may become most fatal^ 
and may be followed by irreparable consequences. 

The idea of our existence and that of God are 
so intimately connected that we can not reflect on 
the former without being strongly impressed by 
the latter. Nothing exists but by PiiM who IS^ and 
y>^ho IS of HIMSELF. It is in Him that we have 
beings life, and reason. He has created us by 
His almighty power ; He preserves us in His 
unbounded goodness ; He governs us by His bene- 
ficent providence. It is, consequently, a stringent 
duty incumbent on us all to render Him the sincere 
homage of our worship : His preeminent existence 
demands it. A God, a religion, a rational being, 
— the latter cannot exist without the former. 
The idea of religion is as natural to man as that of 
God himself; the child on his mother's knee, 
receives its impression with docility ; the young 
man embarking on the stormy sea of the world, 
acknowledges it as his unvarying compass ; and 
the man bowed under the weight of years, finds 
his consolation in its salutary precepts. Let the 



VI PKEFACE. 

furious tempest of the passions be calmed, and all 
men will be found marshalled beneath the standard 
of Eeligion. 

This Treatise, as shall be seen, is an exposition 
of the truths which a Christian must believe ; of 
the duties he is obliged to practise ; and of the 
means he has in his power to obtain the grace to 
persevere in virtue, and to attain the end for 
which he has been created. Historical examples 
and sundry questions are appended to its several 
divisions. These latter, if judiciously used, will 
stimulate the attention of the pupils, accustom them 
to reflect on what they read, and engrave more 
indelibly on their memory that science which leads 
to eternal bliss, and compared with which the 
wisdom of this world is nothing but ignorance and 
folly. 

An Epitome on Christian Politeness, principally 
from the Ven. De la Salle's " Civilite Chre- 
TiENNE,'' is also appended to the '' Duties.'^ The 
limited space does not allow its embracing numerous 
matters to which attention might profitably be 
drawn ; but sufficient, it is hoped, has been said 
to induce those for whom it is intended, to behave 
with decorum in society, and to render their daily 
actions worthy their exalted character, and agree- 
able to Him to whom even the minutest of them 
should be consecrated. 

Montreal, Dec. 8th, 1868. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 
APPROBATION; iii 

Approbation of the English Edition^ iv 

Preface, v 

Introduction. — Necessity of Eeligion and Obligation of 

Studying it 1 



BOOK FIEST.— OF THE K:^0WLEDGE 
AND LOVE OF GOD. 

PART riP.ST. OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 

CHAP. I. — Of the Creed as an Abridgment op 

THE Truths of Faith, 7 

Sect. 1. Of the Creed in general, 7 

2. Of the Necessity of Revelation, 9 

3. Of the Existence of God, 14 

4. Of the Unity of God, IG 

5. Of the Perfections of God, 19 

6. Of the Blessed Trinity, 25 

7. Of the Creation, 29 

CHAP. II. — Of the Angels and of Men, 32 

Sect. 1. Of the Angels, 32 

2. Of Man, 35 

3. Of the Immortality of the Soul, 37 

4. Of the Fall of Man 39 

CHAP. HI. — Sect. 1. Of the Promise of a Re- 
deemer, 42 

Sect. 2. Of the Development of the Promises, 45 

CHAP. IV. — Sect. 1. Of the Incarnation, 50 

Sect. 2. Of the Birth of Jesus Christ, 55 

3. Of the Doctrine of Jesus Christ, 58 

4. Of the Life of Jesus Christ — His Miracles, 61 

5. Of the Virtues of our Lord, 64 

CHAP, v.— Sect. 1. Of Christ's Passion, 67 

Sect. 2. Of Christ's Death and Burial, 74 

CHAP. VI. — Sect. 1. Of Christ's Descent into 

Limbo, 76 

Sect. 2. Of the Resurrection, 77 



viii co:n^tents. 

PAGE. 

CHAP. VII.— Of Christ's Ascension, 80 

VIIL— Of CHKis^r's Second Coming, 83 

Sect. 1. Of Death, 83 

2. Of Judgment, 87 

CHAP. IX.— Of the Holy Ghost, 90 

X.— Sect. 1. Of the Church, 93 

Sect. 2. Constancy of the Martyrs, 98 

3. Of the Marks of the Church, 101 

4. Of the Authority of the Church, 105 

5. Of Salvation out of the Church, 107 

6. Of the Communion of Saints, 112 

CHAP. XL— Of the Forgiveness of Sins, n5 

XII.— Of the Eesurrection of the Body 117 

Xin. — Of Life Everlasting, 120 

Sect. 1. Of Purgatory, 121 

2. Of Heaven, 124 

3. Of Hell, 128 

CHAP. XIY.— Of Professing One's Faith, and of 

THE Sign of the Cross, 131 



PAET SECOND.— OF THE LOVE OF GOD 
AND OF OUE NEIGHBOR. 

CHAP. I. — Of the Commandments of God in . 

General, 133 

II. — Of the first coiveviandment, 135 

Sect. 1. Of Faith, 135 

2. Of Hope, 139 

3. Of Charity, 143 

4. Of Adoration, 148 

5. Of Respect due to the House of God, 152 

CHAP. III. — Of the Second Commandment, 154 

IV. — Of the Third Commandment, 158 

V. — Of the Fourth Commandment, 161 

VI. — Of the Fifth Commandment, 168 

VII. — Of the Sixth Commandment, 172 

VIIL — Of the Seventh Commandment, .. 177 

IX. — Of the Eighth Commandment, 181 

X. — Of the Ninth Co:nlmandment, 186 

XL — Of the Tenth Commandment, 188 

XII. — Of the Precepts of the Church, . 192 

Sect. 1. Of the First Precept, 193 

2. Of the Hearing of Mass, 196 

3. Of the Second Precept, 198 

4. Of the Third Precept, 203 

5. Of the Fourth Precept, 206 

Q. Of the Fifth Precept, 208 

1 , Of the Sixth Precept, 210 



COKTETS. IX 

PAG13. 

CHAP. XIIL— Of Sin, 211 

Xiy.— Of the Capital Sins, 214 

Sect. 1. Of Pride, 215 

2. Of Covetousness, 217 

3. Of Lust, 220 

4. Of Anger, 222 

5. Of Gluttony, 224 

6. Of Envy, 227 

7. Of Sloth, 229 



BOOK SECOND.— OF THE SAOEAMENTS 
AND OF PRAYEE. 

PART FIEST. — OP THE SACRAME:N^TS. 

Preliminary Instruction. — On Grace, 233 

CHAP. I. — Of the Sacraments in General, 236 

11.— Of Baptism, 239 

Sect. 1. Of the Necessity of Baptism, 239 

2. Of the Administration of Baptism, 241 

3. Of the Ceremonies of Baptis^ni, 243 

4. Of the Promises made at Baptism, 247 

CHAP. HI.— Sect. 1. Of the Nature and Effects of 

Confirmation, 249 

Sect. 2. Of the Dispositions for Confirmation, 252 

3. Of the Obligations of Confirmation, 254 

CHAP. lY.— Of the Blessed Eucharist, 257 

Sect. 1. Of Transubstantiation, 257 

2. Of the Dispositions for Receiving the Holy 

Eucharist, 260 

3. Of the Effects of the Holy Eucharist, 263 

4. Of an Unworthy Communion, 266 

5. Of Frequent Communion, 268 

6. Of the Sacrifice of the Mass, 272 

CHAP, v.— Of Penance, 275 

Sect. 1. Of the 'Nature, &c,, of Penance, 275 

2. Of Contrition, 278 

3. Of Purpose of Amendment, 281 

4. Of Coihfession, 285 

5. Of Examination of Conscience, 288 

6. Of Sacrilegious Confession, 290 

7. Of the manner of Confessing, 293 

8. Of Satisfaction, 295 

9. Of Indulgences, 297 

CHAP. VL— Of Extreme Unction, 300 

VIL— Of Holy Orders, 303 

VIII.— Of Matrimony, 306 



X COl^rTEl^TS. 

PAPvT SECO:S^D. — OF PEATER. 

PAGE. 

CHAP. I.— Of Prayer es General, 310 

Sect. 1. Of the Necessity of Frayer, 310 

2. Of the JEffimcy of Frmjer, 313 

3. Of the Conditions of Prayer , 316 

CHAP, n.— Of the Lord's Prayer, 318 

Sect. 1. Of \vhat we should asJc of God, 318 

2. Of the First Petition, 321 

3. Of the Second Petition, 323 

4. Of the Third Petition, 325 

5. Of the Fourth Petition, 327 

6. Of the Fifth Petition, 330 

7. Of the Sixth Petition, 332 

8. Of the Seventh Petition, 334 

CHAP, in.— Of the Axoelical Salutation.— Devo- 
tion TO THE Blessed Virgin Mary 337 

Conclusion.— Of the Happlness of SER^^NG God, 342 



APPENDIX. 



CHRISTIAN POLITENESS. 



INTRODUCTOEY CHAPTER. 
SECTION I.— General Observations, 348 

Duties of Parents — Duties of Children — Cleanliness — Sleep— Food 
Duties of Man as a member of Society — Recreation. 

SECTION II. — Necessity and Advantages of 

Politeness, 350 

Of attention to little things — The heart the source of true Politeness 
— Of the practice of Politeness toTvai'ds the members of one's own 
family — Selfishness and want of temper — The Duke of Burgundy — 
St. Francis de Sales. 



PAKT FIKST. 

OF MODESTY IX THE EXTERIOR. 
CHAPTER. L— Deportment, 354 

Natural position and motions of the body — An air of dignity, 
when regulated by humihty and the other Christian virtues, bears 
a relation to the dignity of God — Standing — Sitting — Entering an 
apartment — Meeting acquaintances in the streets — Modes of 
Salutation. 



CONTENTS. Xi 

CHAPTER IL— Of the Head, 356 

Gesticulation with the head — Putting the hand to the head — 
Bowing — A moderate care of the hair consistent with Christian 
modesty and a mark of pohteness. 

CHAPTEE ni.— Of the Countenance, 356 

The face the mirror of the soul.— The expression of the counte- 
nance to be varied with circumstances — Of resignation under 
crosses — The weak-minded in adversity — Those who are easily 
borne away by the tumult of passions, the plague of their children 
and domestics — Attention to cleanliness — Attention to the presence 
of God — Its influence on the expression of the countenance. 

CHAPTEE r^.— The Countenance (continued). 

Of the Forehead, 358 

The wrinkling of the brows a sign of haughtiness — Modesty the 
most becoming ornament of a Christian — The noblest revenge of 
a Christian is to bear injuries with patience — How revenge was 
regarded by the ancients — By pardoning an injury we convert 
an enemy into a Mend. 

CHAPTEE v.— The Countenance (continued). 

Of the Eyes and Looks, 359 

The eyes the windows of the soul — Fixing the eyes boldly on 
others — Vacant gazing— Faults to be avoided — ^Final destiny of 
the organ of sight. 

CHAPTEE VI.— Concluding Observations on the 

Countenance, 360 

Improprieties in the use of the pocket-handkerchief — Smoking — 
— Snuff-taking — Yawning — Sneezing, &c. — Cramming the mouth 
when eating, besides being impolite, is a mark of greediness 
— Making unnecessary noise when drinking tea, soup, &. 

CHAPTEE yn.— Of Articulation, 361 

Tone to be suited to the size of the place or room — Too high a 
one indicative of arrogance — Too low a tone indicative of childish 
timidity — Roughness of tone and effeminacy of voice — Defective 
utterance — A mode of correcting defective articulation. 

CHAPTEE Vin. — Of the Body in reference to its 

Attitudes, 362 

Posture of the Body — Motion of the arms when walking — 
Shrugging the shoulders — The troublesome and importunate to be 
got rid of without wounding their feelings — Shaking of hands — 
Pointing with the finger — Making a crackling noise with the 
fingers — Paring the nails — Rules for walking — Faults to be 
guarded against. 



PART SECOND. 

OF DECORUM IN ORDINARY ACTIONS. 
CHAPTEE I.— Of rising and Going to Eest, .... 364 

Early rising — Its advantages— Man born to labor — What should 
be done on awaking — What should be done on retiring to rest. 

CHAPTEE n.— Op Dressing and Undressing 365 

Dress should not be an incitement to vanity — Slovenliness to be 
avoided. 



XU CONTEJvTTS. 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER III.— Dress, 366 

The dress should be neat, and suitable to the age and station of 
the wearer — Fondness for dress often leads to ruinous expenses- 
Singularity in dress — Fashion — Dress of the poor — How the hat 
should be worn, how it should be taken off and how disposed of, 
when standing, sitting, entering an apartment, &c. 

CHAPTER lY.— The Table, 367 

Speaking of Food — Food to be taken with moderation — Drinking 
— Taking a place at table — Saying Grace — Rules to be observed 
at table — Summary of the Duties of a young person at table — 
Remarks, hints, &c., &c. 

CHAPTER v.— Visits, 373 

Visits to be neither idle nor useless — Visits of ceremony — Rules 
for visiting and for receiving and entertaining visitors. 

CHAPTER YL— Recreation, 375 

A portion of each day to be spent in recreation — Amusements 
must not transgress ,the limits which moderation prescribes — The 
mental or physical defects of others are not fitting subjects for 
merriment or amusement — Of walking as a recreation — Of 
singing. 

CHAPTER YH.— Conversations, 377 

Of conversation as a means of acquiring information — Conversation 
often productive of serious evils. 

Section I.— Truth, 378 

Section JI. — Means of rendering conversation agree- 
able, 379 

Section ni. — Of profane and uncharitable language, 380 

Section lY. — Of discretion in the use of words, 382 

CHAPTER Yin. — Or the Iiniportunate and Con- 
tentious, 383 

Talking of one's adventures — Rude replies — Disputes — Mode of 
dealing with the contentious — ^Interrupting another while he is 
speaking. 

CHAPTER IX.— Of Compliments, 385 

Compliments must be sincere — Should be well-timed. 

CHAPTER X.— Of Reading, 386 

The most important reading is that upon religious subjects — The 
next in importance is that which relates to one's trade or profes- 
sion. 

CHAPTER XI.— Of the Choice of Books, 388 

CHAPTER XIL— Of Letter writing, 392 

CHAPTER XIIL— Of the Choice of Companions, 394 

Dangers of Bad Company — Alipius — Virtuous Companionship — 
St. Gregory and St. Basil — Other models for young persons. 



THE SCHOLAR'S REGULATION during Vaeation, 402 



THE 

DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN 



INTRODUCTION. 



- RELIGION — ITS NECESSITTj AND THE OBLIGATION 
OF STUDYING IT. 

The existence of the universe, and that ineffable 
order, harmony, magnificence, and beauty, which per- 
vade its every part, proclaim, in accents whicli can not 
be resisted, that there is an omniscient and omnipotent 
Being. Who can contemplate the starry heavens, the 
pleasing vicissitudes of the seasons, the variegated earth, 
the pathless ocean, — in a word, all nature, without 
believing in the existence of a Being who ^^ is wise in 
heart, and mighty in strength — who doth things great, 
and incomprehensible, and wonderful, of which there is 
no number ] " who '' stretched out the north over the 
empty space, and hangeth the earth upon nothing? 
The pillars of heaven tremble, and dread at his beck. 
Lo ! these things are said in part of his ways : and see- 
ing we have heard scarce a little drop of his word, who 
shall be able to behold the thunder of his greatness V^^ 

That Being is God — who, having created all things 
by a single act of his divine will, rules them according 
to the eternal laws of his infinite wisdom. Of all visi- 
ble creatures, man alone is endowed with understand- 
ing and free-will ; he alone is capable of knowing, 
willing, and loving ; and God, who has conferred these 
faculties on him, strictly requires that they be employed 
in promoting the divine honor and glory. 

These truths,, which are obvious to the most untutored 

* Job iX; 4, Q, S, W, and xxvi^ 7, 11, 14. 



2 INTKOD U CTiO N . 

plebeian, as well as to tlie proud pliilosopher, prove 
convincingly the necessity of a religion. It were vain 
to imagine that God is too great, too elevated, to take 
an interest in the honor rendered Him by man. God, 
it is true, needs not our homage j but being infinitely 
just. He requires what is conformable to reason and 
good order; now, what can be more consonant with 
both, than that the creature honor his Creator, and ren- 
der Him a grateful and affectionate service ? 

Can a father dispense his children from the love and 
obedience which they owe him I God is our Father. 
His infinite goodness demands the willing tribute of 
our gratitude , his omnipotence, oiu' service ; but the 
endearing quality of Father, our respect, veneration, 
and love. All the advantages and blessings, whether 
of nature or grace, with which He enriches us, come 
from his liberal hand ; and He has others yet in reserve, 
of which the Scripture speaks in the following terms : 
— ^^ Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it 
entered into the heart of man what things God hath 
prepared for them that love Him."* Is it not, then, 
with justice, that God exacts from us the most heartfelt 
love, the most religious worship 1 

This worship ought to be internal, comprehending 
all the powers of the soul; external, that the body may 
concm' with the soul in worshipping God ; and public, 
that man, destined for society, may, in concert, magnify 
and adore Him who has created all. 

Without a settled form of worship, religion could not 
long subsist among men, since they requke the aid of 
mutual edification to stimulate one another to the prac- 
tice of their duties. Hence, men have, from the begin- 
ning, been accustomed to assemble for divine worship, 
and we everywhere find the Deity adored in the name 
of all the people. 

The same light which discovers to man the existence 

of a Supreme JBeing, on whom he is entu'ely dependent, 

reveals to him also his obligation of paying Him divine 

honor. The form of divine worship, although differing 

* 1 Cor. ii, 9. 



INTKODUCTIOI^. 3 

in different nations, has, in principle, been everywhere 
the same, — namely, the necessity of honoring the 
Supreme Being — the Creator and Sovereign Lord of 
the universe. 

To believe in the existence of God, in the immortality 
of the soul, and in the rewards and punishments of a 
future life, and yet, to live as if one did not believe in 
them, is an inconsistency which can spring only from 
the extreme of folly, ignorance, or licentiousness. 

The most formidable enemies of religion are, blindness 
of mind and depravity of heart. Were religion better 
known, unbelievers would be fewer ; and there would 
be none, if men were free from all criminal passions. But 
neither the darkness of error in the mind, nor the 
violence of passion in the heart, can disturb the reality 
of that whose existence is antecedent to, and indepen- 
dent of, the one and the other. Now, the universe, 
with all it comprises, the unanimous consent of nations, 
and the consciousness of every individual, are so many 
striking evidences bearing testimony to this fundamental 
dogma — the existence of God. The three powers of 
the soul, the memory, the understanding, and the will, 
are so many irrefragable proofs of its spirituality, and, 
consequently, of its immortality. Such being the case, 
how unaccountable is the stupid indifference and fatal 
insensibility of those who, without either precaution or 
fear, advance with rapid strides towards that final term 
— the hour of death, in which shall be decided their 
eternal lot ! 

Of the knowledge of the whole circle of the sciences, 
Keligion is the most important for man. In prosperity, 
it moderates his joy ; in adversity, it sustains his drooping 
spirits. It reminds him that time is nothing, that 
eternity is the great all. It secures the tranquillity of 
states, by making him obedient to the established 
authorities, and that not so much through fear, as 
through a motive of duty. It forms the clement prince, 
the equitable magistrate, the faithful subject, the just 
and considerate master, the trusty and obedient servant, 
the steadfast friend. It forbids not only the stealing 



4 rNTPvODUCTio:^-. 

of another's goods^ but even the unjust deshe of them ; 
and further^ it commands us to share our substance with 
our poorer fellow-creatures, so that our abundance may 
supply their want. It not only condemns murder and 
revenge, but enjoins us to love our enemies, to forgive 
injuries, to do good to them that hate us, to bless them 
that cm^se us, to pray for them that persecute and 
calumniate us.* Struck with the sublimity of this 
doctrine, Montesquieu cries out, — ^^ Astonishing fact ! 
that religion, which seems designed for another world, 
should, notwithstanding, constitute man's happiness in 
this." Even the impious and infamous Voltaire acknow- 
ledges that '^ society, without religion, would be a den 
of ferocious beasts.^' 

Nothing therefore, is more important for man than 
the study of religion : religion itself makes this study 
imperative on us. It requires that we study its precepts ; 
and, while it enjoins an implicit faith in its dogmas, it 
ordains that we be able to give an account of the faith 
that is in us. Unhappy they, who, blaspheming what 
they know not, dare to decry as popular prejudice, truths 
the most certain and most worthy of respect ; truths 
which the most gifted have adopted, after careful 
investigation, heedless of the sacrifices and consequen- 
ces which their adhesion would necessarily entail. 

You who are about to enter the world, be ever mind- 
ful of the precepts of the Church ,• be faithful to your 
duties, and do not suffer yourselves to be drawn aside 
from the path of rectitude and virtue, though the impious 
and indifferent should scoff at yom* generous and noble 
fidelity to the commands of God and his Church. 

Read such books as will instruct you thoroughly in 
the truths of religion : the better you are instructed, the 
firmer will be your faith ; the more you study religion, 
the more impressed shall you be with its divine beauty 
and heavenly unction. Be not dazzled by the vain 
sophistries of the infidel : neither accept blasphemy for 
reason, nor raillery for proof. Shun bad company, for 
" evil communications corrupt good manners ! '^ t ^^ Decline 
* Luke vi; 35, and Matt, y, 44. t Cor. xv. 33. 



INTROBUCTIOI^T. 5 

from evil, and do good ; '^* — tlius shall you, to the end, 
preserve, pure and unsullied, the precious treasure of 
faith. 

If, however, you have had the misfortune of straying 
from your duty, return without delay to Him who, with 
outstretched arms, awaits you, and who never rejects those 
that seek Him with a contrite and humble heart ; sacrifice 
not, dera' youth, your eternal interests at the shrine of vile 
and contemptible human respect. 



An unhappy Christian, having nothing of Christianity 
but Baptism, and who had either never learned his cate- 
chism, or had forgotten it, made it his particular request 
(doubtless from a sentiment of humility — the fruit of a sin- 
cere conversion), that the following epitaph should be en- 
graved on his tombstone : — '' Here lies a fool, who de- 
parted this world without ever having sought to know 
why he had been sent into it.'' — Catechism of the 
ChupvChes of FrAI^vTCE. 

A distinguished officert in the United States' Army, 
who passed for an atheist, had a daughter dangerously 
ill. The poor girl had, apparently, but few moments to 
live. She called for her father, and, clasping his hand 
in hers, said in accents the most touching : " Dearest 
father, I am about to expire ; tell me, then, I beseech you, 
whether I am to believe what I have so frequently heard 
you affirm, that there is neither a God, a Heaven, nor a 
hell ; or to believe the consoling truths of the Catechism, 
which I have learned from the lips of my beloved mother." 
The officer, struck with amazement at these words, re- 
mained for some moments in melancholy silence. At 
length, leaning over the bed of his dying child, he said 
in a voice broken with sobs : '' My daughter, my own dar- 
ling daughter, believe that alone whicli thy motlier has 
taught thee." The astonishment of the bystanders, many 
of whom were infidels, may be easily imagined. One of 
them, who had long since abjured his religion, having 
been asked what he thought of the matter, gravely re- 

* 1 Peter Ui, 11. t Colonel E. Alleii; the hero of Ticoiuleroga 



IHTRODUCTIOif. 



plied that it was more agreeable to live according to his 
new religion^ but much safer to die in the old. Such is 
the idea the impious themselves form of religion at the 
dreadful hour of death. — Schmidt et Belet. 



Exercises. — 1. Wliat do the existence of the universe and the ineff- 
able order that pervades it, proclaim ? — 2. What does Job say of the 
existence of this omnipotent Being? — 3. Who is this Being f — 4. Are 
all creatures capable of knowing, willing, and loving f — 5. Why has 
God conferred these faculties on man? — 6. What do tljese truths 
convincingly prove? — 7. Do the greatness and elevation of God ren- 
der Him indifferent to the homage which we owe Him ? — 8. Does 
He require our homage? — 9. What do the perfections of God require 
of us? 10. What does St. Paul say of the blessings which God has 
in reserve for those who love and serve Him? — 11. ^^^lat are the 
conditions of the worship which w^e owe God ? — 12. Why ought 
it to be internal ? — 13. Why, external ? — 14. Wh}^, public ? — 15. 
Why is a settled form of worship necessary ? — 16. Has public 
worship always been in use? — 17. To what must we attribute 
the inconsistency of persons, who believing in the existence of 
God, live as though they had neither rewards nor punishments lo 
expect ? — 18*. What are the most formidable enemies of religion? 
— 19. What do the three powers of the soul prove ? — 20. In the 
circle of the sciences, what knowledge is the most important for 
man ? — 21. What are iis advantages ? — 22. What does Montesquieu 
say of the benefits of religion? — 23. Cite the words of Voltaire on 
the necessity of religion? — 24. Repeat the principal counsels 
which young persons, who desire to preserve their faith, should 
loUow when about to enter the world. 



THE 

DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 



BOOK FIRST. 

ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE OF GOD. 



PART FIRST. 

OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 



CHAPTER T. 

^HICH IS A'N AB] 
TRUTHS OF FAITH. 

SECTION I. 

Of the Apostles^ Creed in general. 

It was necessary that the faithful should possess a 
formula, or profession of faith, which would be concise, 
simple^ easy of retention, and the same throughout the 
world. To secure this desirable object, the Apostles, it 
is believed, before they separated to preach the Gospel, 
drew up the Symbol which bears their name, and which 
tradition has constantly attributed to them. 

The word symbol signifies sign, or abridgment ; that 
name has been given to this formula, because the pro- 
fession of faith, which is made in reciting it, distin- 
guishes Christians from unbelievers ; and because it 
contains, in an unabridged form, the truths which a 
Christian, in order to be saved, is bound to believe. 

The Symbol, or Apostk^s' Creed, consists of twelve 



8 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAI^. 

articles, and is divided into three principal parts.* The 
first part consists of the first article, and speaks of God 
the Father, and of the Creation of the world. The 
second part comprehends the next six articles, and treats 
of the Son of God ; the Redemption of man, and the Gen- 
eral Judgment. The third part comprises the last ^ye 
articles, and professes our belief in the Holy Ghost, the 
Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the 
Forgiveness of sins, the General Resui^rection, and the 
Rewards and Punishments of a future life. In recit- 
ing the Apostles^ Creed, we produce as many acts of 
faith as there are truths contained in it. We should, 
therefore, accustom ourselves to repeat it frequently, bat 
particularly on rising in the morning, to testify to God 
that we wish to live in a Christian manner during the 
day ^ and at night, before going to rest, in order to dis- 
pose ourselves to die in the faith of the Church, should 
death surprise us in our sleep. The Church ordains 
that all the faithful commit it to memory • and fathers 
and mothers are indispensably obliged to teach it to 
their children. 



A tyrant, who, by threats and promises, had endeav- 
ored to induce his Christian subjects to renounce their 
faith, having asked some whom he had arraigned, what 
was theli belief, one of the number replied, — '' This is 
our profession of Faith, — ' I believe in God, the Father 
Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth,' "&o,. — which 
he recited to the end with a loud and firm voice. — 
Lasausse. 

Christians, while suffering the most excruciating tor- 
tures, inflicted on them by their cruel persecutors, in the 
hope of forcing them thereby to renounce their faith, 
have been heard to exclaim: ^^I believe ;'' — ^^I am a 
Christian;" — ^^ Death, in any form, rather than apos- 
tacy.'^ — Teigkot. 

* In the imperial library of Vienna; a very ancient Greek manu- 
script is said to exist, containing the Symbol of the Apostles, 
divided into twelve articles, with the name of each of the 
Apostles who composed them. — Teignot. 



NECESSITY OE REYELATIO^-. 9 

Exercises. — 1. What is the Apostles^ Creed? — 2. When did 
the Apostles compose it? — 3. What does the word Symbol or 
Creed signify ? — 4. Why is it so called ? — 5. How many prin- 
cipal parts does it contain? — 6. How many articles ? — 7. Of what 
does the first part consist ? — 8. What does the second part com- 
prehend ? — 9. What does the third part comprise ? — 10. What do 
we produce in reciting the Creed? — 11. When in particular 
should we repeat it? — What does the Church ordain on this 
subject ? 



SECTION II. 

ARTICLE I. — "l BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER 



The Necessity of Bevelation. 

Man's first and chief concern is to know the end for 
which he has been placed in this world^ and that a state 
of never-ending happiness or misery awaits him in the 
world to come J according as his works in this shall have 
been good or evil. But his understanding being 
extremely limited^ and, consequently, his conception 
of spiritual things very imperfect, it behoves him to 
have recourse to that knowledge of them, which God 
himself has been pleased to reveal. 

Of the truths thus revealed, some are contained in the 
Holy Scriptures, and others have come down to us by 
tradition. The Scriptures are divided into the Old and 
the New Testament. The Old Testament comprises 
all the sacred writings from the time of Moses to the 
coming of our Divine Redeemer ,• the New, those which 
were written by some of the Apostles and first 
Disciples. 

All these books were written by divine inspiration, 
and their authenticity is incontrovertible. That they 
were written by the persons to whom they are ascribed, 
that they have been preserved with religious veneration, 
and have come down to us by a regular and uninterrupted 
tradition, are facts which can not be called in question. 
From the period of their sojourn in the desert, the 
Hebrew people had the books of Moses in their hands ; 



10 DITTIES OF A CHEIST1A:N'. 

they read them every clay; parents transmitted the 
knowledge of them to thek children as a most precious 
inheritance ; the original was religiously preserved in 
the tabernacle, and the words, nay, even the very 
letters, were numbered. It would, therefore, have been 
impossible to make the slightest change in the sacred 
waitings, without evoking the most strenuous opposition 
on the paii) of those who, for conscience' sake, were 
deeply interested in the preser\^ation of their original 
integrity. 

The Pentateuch, which comprehends the first five 
books of the Old Testament, has always been attributed 
to Moses by an entii'e people, whose religion, customs, 
and civil constitution, were founded on the truths and 
maxims embodied therein. The other books of the Old 
Testament are equally authentic ; and so perfect is 
their correspondence throughout, that the facts mentioned 
by those who wrote the last, necessarily suppose the 
events recorded by those who had preceded them. 
The T\Titers of these holy books prove their divine 
mission by a succession of the most stupendous miracles, 
and by prophecies which have been literally fulfilled. 
They were, therefore, the ambassadors of God. 

The mkacles which attest the authenticity of the 
Scriptures were so palpably evident, that it was 
impossible to be deceived in their regard. A whole 
kingdom is struck with ten successive plagues ; — the sea 
opens, leaving to the Israelites a dr}^ passage, and closes 
again, to the utter destruction of Pharaoh and his entire 
army ; — an immense multitude are fed for forty years 
in the desert with manna from Heaven, and their thirst 
quenched with water from the flinty rock ; — they are 
protected from the scorching rays of the sun by a cloud 
during the day, and enlightened by a pillar of fire 
during the night ;* — the Jordan yields a dry passage to 
Joshua and his people, and the course of the sun is in- 
terrupted to give them time to complete their victory ; t 
— an army of one hundred and eighty-five thousand men 
are struck dead in one night under the ramparts of 
* Exodus, xiv^ xv, xvi. t Josua, iii, 17, and x, 13. 



NECESSITY OE REYELATIOl^. 11 

JenispJem : * tliese, and a thousand similar prodigies, 
many of which were attested by solemn festivals, in 
stituted expressly to perpetuate their remembrance, could 
not be unknown to the most ignorant, nor disbelieved 
by the most incredulous. So convinced, indeed, w^ere 
the Hebrew people of their reality, that they readily 
embraced the law which was given them, notwith- 
standing its numerous and rigorous observances, and the 
severe chastisements it decreed against those who should 
dare to violate it. 

The proof resulting from the prophecies is no less 
convincing. Here we see a number of inspired men, 
who speak without uncertainty, hesitation, or doubt ; 
but declare, confidentl}^ and publicly, that such and 
such events will certainly happen at the time, in the 
place, and in the manner which they specify. And 
what events ? The most particular, the most important, 
and, at the time of their prediction, apparently, the 
most improbable. Such were, the captivity of the 
Jewish people in Babylon, which was to be the con- 
sequence of the capture and destruction of Jerusalem, 
then in a flourishing condition ; the precise term of 
seventy years, marked out as the duration of the 
Babylonian captivity ; the glorious return of that people 
to their own country, in the reign of Cyrus, their liber- 
ator, who was described and called by his name more 
than two hundred years before his birth ; the succession 
and order of the four great empires, two of which, 
Persia and Greece, were expressly named, although 
they were, at the time of the prediction, confined to a 
mere corner of the earth, and divided into numerous 
petty states and kingdoms. How did the Prophets 
thus penetrate futurity '? Who could discover to them 
events so remote and so improbable ? who, but He who 
is the Master of time, and who regulates all things by 
his eternal decrees ? Hence, the sacred penmen have 
ever been regarded as God's ministers and and ambas- 
sadors, and their writings as the revealed word of Truth 
itself, 

* 4 KingS; xix^ 85. 



12 DUTIES OE A CHMSTIAX. 

Tlie authority of the Neiv Testament rests on the 
same foundation as that of the Old^ and is equally 
incontrovertible. The New Testament contains the 
history of the life, miracles, and doctrine of the Son of 
God, written by his Disciples — all contemporary authors 
— whose testimony is uniform, and who relate only 
what they had heard and seen. From the beginning 
of Christianity, these books have been cited ; the}^ were 
even transcribed by the great men who lived in the 
time of the Apostles ,• nor was their authenticity ever 
questioned even by those early enemies of the Christian 
faith — Julian, Celsus, and Porphyry 5 although at the 
period in which they lived, they could easily have 
ascertained whether any rational doubt of that authen- 
ticity had previously existed. 

The Church has had, at all times, a profound venera- 
tion for these sacred books ; she has caused them to be 
read in her religious assemblies ; she has always 
regarded them as the work of the Holy Ghost ; as the 
word of God ] and has always taught that to add to or 
take from them, would be impiety and sacrilege. But, 
if these books are authentic and of divine authority, the 
facts contained in them must all be true ] and if these 
facts are certain, tlien it is true to assert that God him- 
self has spoken to man. We should, therefore, con- 
sider every doctrine contrary to that revealed by God, 
as illusion, deceit, and error, and should oppose his 
sacred word to the daring licentiousness of impiety and 
incredulity. We should never forget, that, if our faith 
ought to be reasonable, by an examination of the 
reality of the facts on which it is founded, it can not be 
too humble, by our entire submission to the truths 
which it reveals, and to the expositions of them given 
by the Church, ^' the pillar and ground of truth." * 



A number of persons waited on a certain philosopher, 
and thus addressed him : ^^ We are deputed to beg that 
you infonn us clearly, who is God." He replied, *^ I 



1 Tim., iii, 15. 



JS^ECESSITY OF KEYELATIOI^. 13 

will consider the subject; call on me in eight days.'' 
The eight days having elapsed, they returned, but the 
philosopher required eight days more to frame his 
answer. These being expired, they again presented 
themselves, but were told to call in eight days more. 
Weary of hearing the sarae reply, and in precisely the 
same terms, they asked him how long he would continue 
telling them to come in eight days. '' So long," replied 
he, '' as you continue to put the same question, I must 
return the same answer. I know well that there is a 
God ] but who, or what He is, I know not, nor shall I 
ever be able to tell you.'' 

Who can teach what God is but God himself? St. 
Augustine, before his conversion, went to the church as 
often as his occupations would permit, and never failed 
on Sundays to hear the sermons of St. Ambrose, who 
was then Bishop of Milan. " They were," says he, 
^^ excellent explanations of the word of truth 5 and 
whilst I opened my heart to the eloquence of his words, 
the truth entered by degrees." After his conversion, 
he says, ^^ Oh ! how much did I weep in hearing thy 
hymns and canticles, being exceedingly moved by the 
voices of thy harmonious Church ! Their enchanting 
sounds charmed my ears, as thy truth distilled into my 
heart, whence the afiection of devotion arose, and from 
my eyes flowed sweet tears, in which I found much 
comfort." * 



Exercises. — 1. What is man^s first and chief concern? — 
2. Where are these revealed truths to be found ? — 3. How are 
the Scriptures divided ? — 4. What is comprised in the Old Testa- 
ment 'l — 5. What in the New ? — 6. How were these books writ- 
ten, and what is said of their authenticity? — 7. What facts, re- 
specting these books, cannot be questioned ? — 8. To whom is the 
Pentateuch attributed ? — 9. How did the writers of the Old Testa- 
ment prove their divine mission? — 1.0. Name some of the mira- 
cles? — 11. Name some of the prophecies? — 12. On what does 
the authority of the New Testament rest ? — 13. Of what does it 
treat? — 14. How has the Church alwajs regarded these books? 
— 15. How should we consider all doctrines contrary to divine 
revelation ? 

"* Confess., lib, vii, c. 6. 



14 DUTIES OE A CHPvISTIAX. 

SEOTIOX III. 



?? 



" I BELIEVE r^r GOD. 

Of the ^Existence of God. 

This trath — there is a God — presents itself, as it were, 
naturally to tbe mind. A single glance, a moment^s 
reflection, is sufficient to convince us of its realit}'. 
Every object in natin^e, the least as well as the greatest, 
is a sensible proof of God's existence. 

Behold the magnificent canopy of the heavens ! Who 
has created this immense vault? AYho has suspended 
all these glorious orbs : — this sun which diffuses every- 
where its light and heat — this moon, these stars, which 
shine in the firmament dm^ing the night, and which per- 
form their revolutions with a regularity so truly admir- 
able? 

If, now, we look doT\Ti upon the earth, and contemplate 
the countless multitudes of animals which inhabit it ; the 
amazing variety of trees, plants, and fruits, mth which 
it is covered ; the myriads of fishes which the sea con- 
tains within its. bosom; shall we not exclaim, — who, 
but God alone, could be the author of so many wonders ? 
To attribute them to chance, would be the climax of 
absm'dity. On seeing a beautiful palace, we instantly 
judge that a skilful architect has planned and built it ; 
and on beholding a fine picture, we doubt not that an 
excellent artist has designed and painted it. And should 
any one dare tell us that the building and the painting 
are the effects of chance ; that the stones, &;c., of the 
former, happened to shape, polish, and adjust themselves ; 
and that the colors of the latter, by some accident, mixed 
and arranged themselves on the canvas, and thus formed 
the correct and gracefulfigures which we so much admire ; 
would we not pronounce our informant a madman ? How, 
then, should we characterize him, who, for an instant, 
could imagine that the univ^erse has been the result of a 
similar process? 

In fine, contemplating ourselves, we see the human 
body composed of a multitude of muscles, members, and 



THE existe:n^ce of god. 15 

organs, arranged with amazing regularity ; and, through- 
out the whole, we perceive evidence of a marked design, 
and proof that He wlio called man into existence, 
wished to give, in his person, a manifest indication of 
his infinite wisdom, since God alone could have pro- 
duced a work so admirable ! But we have a soul as well 
as a body. This soul is not formed of matter; for 
matter is not capable of thought. The soul is, then, a 
spirit. It is united to the body ; and so intimate is this 
union, that when the body is in health, a sweet joy 
diffuses itself through the soul ; and when the body 
suffers from sickness, the soul sympathizes in its sufier- 
ings. Who, but God, could thus unite two such opposite 
substances, and establish between them so admirable a 
correspondence ? 

The feelings of joy and sadness which we experience, 
are a further proof of God^s existence. If these feelings 
depended on ourselves, or if we could possess or banish 
them at pleasure, we would always be joyous — never 
sorrowful. We hiive, then, a sovereign and almighty 
Master, on whom we depend, and who disposes of us at 
his good pleasure. This supreme Master is God. 
Hence, the exclamation — '^ My God ! " which escapes 
us in any unforeseen calamity or danger — an exclamation 
which is not the effect of reflection but the testimony 
of a soul " naturally Christian, " as is remarked by the 
famous, but unfortunate, Tertullian. 

It is, then, true that we bear within us the impress of 
the Divinity, traced in indelible characters ; and hence, 
there has never been a nation, how savage or barbarous 
soever, which did not acknowledge the existence of a 
supreme Being. Many nations have been discovered 
destitute of the arts and sciences ; — not one that had not 
a God. In their choice, many were, certainly, mistaken ; 
but all felt the necessity of acknowledging a supreme 
Power. This universal consent of mankind, of all 
countries, and of all times, and among people differing 
so much from one another in genius and manners, could 
not be the effect of any arbitrary convention : it can only 
be the effect of a light which shines on all mankind — 



16 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

a light proceeding from God, which even the most simple- 
minded cannot misunderstand. 

'^ The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the 
firmament declareth the works of his hands.^^* Who 
else could order the sun to come forth, and preside over 
the day 5 or the moon to appear, and rule over the 
night ? t All creatures proclaim aloud that they did 
not make themselves, that itwas God alone who made them. 
Who but God could cause the plants to germinate and 
increase in the bosom of the earth ? Who else could 
regulate the exact succession of day and night, and 
fix the invariable order of the seasons ? Every thing 
around us proclaims the existence of God. 



A young libertine, whose levity of mind corresponded 
with that of his manners, presented himself to M. Oudin, 
a learned and pious ecclesiastic, and impudently said, 
^^ I feel much pleasure, sir, in informing you that I am 
sin atheist. ^^ At those words, the man of God recoiled 
with horror ; then, putting on his spectacles, he stead- 
fastly gazed at the silly fop, who, after a few moments, 
demanded why he stared at him. '^ I gaze,'^ he replied, 
^^upon the strange being called an atheist, ha^dng 
never seen one till now.'^ Disconcerted at this answer, 
the atheistical youth hastily withdrew. — Merault. 

Exercises. — 1. Are deep researches requisite to convince us 

of the existence of God ? — 2. ^A^at are the external proofs of the 
existence of God? — 3. Can the creation of the world, and the 
numberless beauties it contains, be attributed to chance ? — 4. Can 
the admirable formation of the human body be the result of 
chance ? — 5. Is not a proof of the existence of God found in the 
soul ? — 6. Have there ever been on earth nations that rejected the 
existence of God ? — 7. Of what is this universal consent of nations 
the effect? 



SECTION IV. 

" I BELIEVE nsT GOD,'^ &C. 

Of the Unity of God. 
Faith and reason, which teach us that there is a 
* Psalm^ xvii, 2. t Gen.; i. 



THE UNITY OF GOD. 17 

God, teach us also that, there is but one, and that there 
cannot be more. God, being sovereignly great, must be 
one : if He had an equal. He would cease to be supreme. 
All his perfections prove his Unity. There can be but 
one immense Being, who fills all places, and in whom 
all things live, move, and have their being. There can 
be but one infinitely perfect Being who p(^ssesses in himself 
all possible perfections, and from whom all the perfections 
of his creatures flow. The Divine Being cannot have 
an equal, because He possesses in himself the plenitude 
of infinite majesty. 

That a truth so evident should formerly have been 
unknown, and that people, otherwise enlightened, should 
have adored a plurality of gods, is doubtless, a subject 
of astonishment. This gross ignorance was a consequence 
of sin. When God created man. He manifested himself 
to him, and man, from that moment, knew clearly that 
there was but one Supreme Being, who created all 
things, and on whom they were all dependent. Man 
transmitted to his posterity this pure and holy religion, 
which was for some time preserved amongst them. 
This tradition was so conformable to reason, that one 
should think it could never be obscured nor forgotten ; 
but religion demanded sacrifice, and the corruption of 
nature was every day assuming a new and more power- 
ful empke. In proportion as men removed from the origin 
of things, the greater part forgot the lessons which they 
had received from their forefathers; the idea of God 
was confounded with that of the creation ; they adored 
every object in which they discovered any extraordinary 
power, or from which they believed they had anything 
to hope or fear. The stars were the first objects of this 
impious worship ; kings, conquerors, and philosophers, 
soon after received divine honors. Beasts and reptiles 
next became objects of adoration. At length, the greater 
part of mankind regarded everything as God but God 
himself, and even adored the works of their own hands. 
They fancied they could confine the Divine Spirit in a 
statue, and they so far forgot that God had made them, 
as even to imagine that they could make a God. 



18 DUTIES OE A CHRISTIAN. 

Every nation had its particular deities, some of which 
presided in heaven, others in the sea and in the rivers, 
others in hell j and so great was the corruption which 
reigned amongst men, that they deified vices and 
passions, and erected altars in their honor. 

Nor was this excess of wickedness and blindness 
peculiar to savage and barbarous nations ; the most 
polished nations of antiquity — the Egyptians, Greeks, and 
Romans — were no less chargeable with it. These 
nations, though unsurpassed in civilization and enlighten- 
ment, were, in matters of religion, as blind as the most 
barbarous and illiterate. Even their orators, poets, 
historians, and sages, were profoundly ignorant of the 
nature of the Divinity j and what w^ould appear incredi- 
ble, if facts did not attest it, the prevailing notions on 
this head were not only the most absurd, but likewise 
the most deeply rooted and incorrigible. Some of their 
philosophers, it is true, by nmch reasoning and deep re- 
jection, discovered the unity of God, but they never 
dared teach this doctrine in public. 

Men would never have gone forth from the darkness 
of idolatry, had not a supernatural light come to the 
assistance of reason, and had God himself not spoken 
to man, and made known who He is, and how He should 
be honored. Had not the Lord deigned to enlighten 
us also, we, too, would now be bmied in this frightful 
darkness ; but thanks to his infinite goodness, the first 
lessons given us in our childhood, taught us more than 
was known by the wisest pagans of antiquity. 



Epictetus being asked who God is, replied, ^' Were I 
capable of declaring what God is, God would not be 
what He is, and I should be God, — for God alone can 
comprehend himself.^' 

Exercises. — 1. What do faith and reason teach us concerning 
God ? — 2. How do the perfections of God prove His Unity ? — 3. 
What has given rise to idolatry ? — 4. What creatures first at- 
tracted man's adoration ? — 5. Was this excess of wickedness and 
blindness limited to savage and barbarous nations ? — 6. To whom 
do we owe our deliverance from this frightful darkness ? 



THE PERFECTIOiN'S OE GOD. 19 

SEOTIO]^ V 

" I BELIEVE 11^ god/' &C. 

Of the Perfections of God, 

God is so great, and our understanding is so limited, 
tliat it is impossible for us to conceive what He really is. 
The knowledge of Him, which faith and reason com- 
municate, is naturally imperfect, but still quite sufficient 
for us while we are in this life. Nothing can give us 
a more exalted idea of God than what He says of him- 
self: ^^I AM WHO AM ;"* — that is, the Bemg by excel- 
lence, the First Cause of all, on whom alone everything 
else depends. From this idea of God, it follows that He 
possesses, in an infinite degree, every possible perfection. 

God is a Spirit^ — that is, a pure Intelligence, with- 
out body, figure, or color : He is not like the objects 
which surround us, and which strike our senses ; for 
everything which we see and touch is material ; but an 
infinitely perfect being is immaterial. The angels and 
our souls are indeed spiiits, but the knowledge of the 
angels, as well as ours, is limited and imperfect ; that 
of God extends to every object in creation. 

God is eternal. — He existed before all things, for He 
made them all ; He existed before all time — He never 
had a beginning, and never will have an end. Before 
anything was created, God existed in himself, and 
nothing existed but God alone. 

God is Almighty. — He can do all things ; He does 
all that He wills ; by his single word all creatures came 
forth from nothing, and, if He pleased. He could create 
a thousand other worlds. '^ He," says the apostle, 
^^ calleth the things that are not as those that are,"t and 
they immediately obey his voice. Nothiug is impos- 
sible, nothing difficult to Him. The heavenly bodies are 
suspended in the firmament without any other support 
than his good pleasure ; the sea respects his orders, and 
keeps within the limits which He has prescribed it. 
1'he fire, the air, the tempest, — all natiu'e is obedient to 
his laws. He covers the heavens with clouds, whence 
^ Exodus, iii, 14, t Rom., iv, 17. 



20 DUTIES OF A CHKISTIAI^f. 

descends tne fertilizing rain ; and eacli succeeding year 
He presents to oiu: admiring view the renovated aspect 
of universal nature. 

God is Independent. — God is^ or exists, from himself 
alone, and is the principal of all that is. He is the 
inexhaustible source of all good ; and He distributes 
his gifts to whom He pleases. A Being sovereignly 
happy in himself, He has no need of creatm'es j and, 
absolute Master of all things. He has neither superior 
nor equal. We, on the contrary. Eve in universal and 
continual dependence upon God. It is He who 
preserves and nomishes us. We can do nothing what- 
ever without his assistance, and were He to withdraw, 
for an instant, his sustaining arm, we should at once 
return to our original nothingness. 

God is Unchangeable. — What He is. He always was, 
and always will be. ^^ For I am the Lord, and I change 
not.'^ * Man is never in a fixed or permanent condition. 
His body, subject to the revolutions of different periods 
of life, passes successively from strength to weakness, 
from health to sickness, from life to death. His will, 
either through his own inconstancy, or because he has 
discovered reasons for abandoning what he sought, or 
for seeking what he despised, is subject to perpetual 
change. ^' But Thou,'^ says the Psalmist, addressing 
the Almighty, ^^ art always the selfsame, and thy years 
shall not fail : '^ t and St. James declares, that with 
'' God there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.'' f 

God is Infinite. — That is, his essence and his attri- 
butes are without limit. He possesses, in an unlimited 
degree, all possible perfections. God is not only good, but 
infinitely good ; not only just, but infinitely just ; — and 
thus might be characterized all his other perfections, of 
w^hich the number is as unlimited as their greatness is 
unbounded. 

God is Immense. — He is in Heaven, on earth, and in 

all places. It is He who animates all, who sustains all, 

who gives life and motion to every created being. He 

is all things^ or to say better, all things are in Him ; 

* Malachy^ iii; 6. t Ps., ci, 27. t James^ i; 17. 



THE PERFECTIONS OE GOD. 21 

his presence extends to tlie farthest bounds of the uni- 
verse ; He could create other worlds as well as this , 
and if created, they would all be confined within the 
extent of his immensity. It is, then, certain, that we 
are continually in God's presence; He hears all our 
words ', He witnesses all our actions ; He penetrates 
the inmost recesses of our heart ; He knows well all 
our thoughts and all our desires. When we do evil, 
He is present and sees it. The thickest darkness does 
not conceal us from his sight j the darkest night is, 
\\4th Him, as the brightest day. The proof of this 
truth is deeply engraven on our heart. Whence come 
those remorses which agitate us in the commission of 
crime, though concealed from every human eye? 
Whence those lively and bitter reproaches with which 
conscience then assails us ? In vain would the sinner 
endeavor to silence them; the piercing cry of this inte- 
rior voice penetrates whatever opposes it ; in vain would 
he fly from his own heart, and seek to avoid the confu- 
sion of these reproaches. Wherever he goes, he is filled 
with fear and covered with shame before this invisible 
censor, that continually reminds him of the turpitude of 
his crime, in order to induce him to detest it. 

We should never forget that God is always with us, 
and that we are never alone ; that, in the most retired 
place, in the deepest solitude, we have an invisible 
Witness, who accompanies us everywhere, and observes 
all our actions. This thought should restrain us from 
evil. The enemy of our salvation is weak, his efibrts 
powerless, so long as we remember the presence of God. 
How could we dare to commit sin before his eyes 1 
Who would have the temerity to do in his presence what 
he would not do in the presence of his father or master ? 
This was the lesson which Tobias gave his son: — ^^My 
son," said he, ^^ all the days of thy life, have God in 
thy mind." * It is also the counsel of St. Augustine : 
^^ If any one," he says, " would tempt 3^ou to sin, say to 
him : ^ Find me a place in which God will not see me; 
but since there is no such place, speak to me no longer 
* TobiaS; iv; 6. 



22 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAISr. 

of sin } I am not sufficiently wicked to offend Him in 
his presence/" This thought — G-od sees me — should 
sustain us against the attacks of the devil, give us 
strength and courage to resist them, and stimulate us to 
discharge our duties with the utmost fidelity. 

God governs all things. — He takes care of all his 
creatures, and this care is called his Providence. No- 
thing happens in this world but by his order or permis- 
sion. The good which happens is by his order. He ap- 
proves it, He wills and commands it, and He rewards it. 
The evil which is committed happens not by his ord^r. 
He forbids it, and will punish it ; but He does not pre- 
vent it, because He will not constrain our liberty, and 
is sufficiently powerful to draw good from evil. God 
abandons not his creatm'es to chance after having 
created them. To govern them, after having deigned 
to create them, is not unworthy of his infinite majesty. 

The providence of Grod watches over each individual, 
as w^ell as over kingdoms and empires. Not a sparrow 
falls to the ground without the order of your heavenly 
Father. ^' The very hairs of your head are all num- 
bered,'^* says our Lord. His bountiful providence 
annually covers the earth with crops, causes the trees 
to be laden with fruit, gives increase to plants, pro- 
vides, with paternal care, for the various wants of his 
creatures, and nourishes even the birds of the an, the 
fishes of the sea, and the animals which roam over the 
earth. 

We must not, however, imagine that God's care of 
his creatures is to Him a source of trouble, or that it 
disturbs, in the least, his unalterable repose. A king, 
who is occupied with the great afiairs of his kingdom, 
cannot attend to the details of its minor concerns ; for, so 
limited are the powers of the human mind, that he could 
not devote his attention to the care of the latter, with- 
out exposing himself to the manifest danger of neglect- 
ing the former. But with God all things are equally 
easy, and nothing can be difficult or embarrassing to 
Him. 

* Matt;, X, 30. 



THE pebfectio:n^s of god. 23 

From tills principle, that tliere is a Providence, flow 
two important duties of man. The first is, that he 
should submit without reserve to the conduct of that 
Providence ; adoring it in adversity, as well as in pros- 
perity ; in sickness and suffering", as well as in health 
and enjoyment. Our sentiments, then, should be, " As 
it hath pleased the Lord, so is it done : blessed be the 
name of the Lord.^^ * If He sometimes permits the 
good man to suffer want, while the impious is in a state of 
affluence, it is that He may exercise his wtue, and 
reward it munificently in the life to come, — knowing 
that the passing evils which we here endure will be the 
means of securing to us everlasting felicity. The 
second duty is, to confide in this Providence, and to 
expect, without inquietude, from the goodness of God, 
all that is necessary for this life and the life to come. 
" Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor 
do they reap, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly 
Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value 
than they ? Consider the lilies of the field how they 
grow ; they labor not, neither do they spin : bat I say 
to you, that not even Solomon, in all his glorj^, was 
aiTayed as one of these. And if the grass of the field, 
which is to-day, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, 
God doth so clothe, how much more you, ye of little 
faith ? " t Let us, therefore, adore divine Providence 
under all events; our lot cannot be in better hands. 
Never will so good a Father abandon his children, if 
they but confide in his paternal care. 



We read in the Old Testament, that a virtuous young 
woman, named Susanna, was solicited to commit a 
grievous sin, and was threatened with an ignominious 
death in case she refused. Horrified at the thought 
of offending God, she raised her eyes in supplication 
to Heaven, and then protested courageously tluit she 
Avould rather die than sin in the presence of her God. 
Being afterwards falsely accused before the people, 
in conse(pience of her resisting tliis temptation, 
* Job, i, 21. t Matt, vi, 20, 28-30. 



24: ' DUTIES or A CHEISTIAX. 

God himself undertook her defence, and, by means of 
his prophet, Daniel, clearly established her innocence. 
Her wicked accusers were then put to the same kind 
of death to which they had nefariously condemned her. 
Thus, the remembrance of Grod^s presence, which she 
had constantly preserved, was the cause of Susanna's 
heroic conduct in the hour of trial, and of her generous 
fidehty, to vindicate which, divine Providence thus 
miraculously interposed. 

Canute, the Dane, king of England, one of the wisest 
and most powerful monarchs of his time, was an object 
of the most extravagant adulation — a tribute liberally 
paid even to the meanest and weakest princes — but which 
this religious sovereign held in abhorrence. Being one 
day on the sea-shore, surrounded by a numerous retinue, 
some of them took occasion to extol his greatness, styl- 
ing him ^^ king of kings, and ruler of both sea and land." 
Canute, desirous of showing how conscious he was of 
the emptiness of the base compliment, and wishing to 
reprove their impiety, seated himself near the water's 
edge at the flowing of the tide, and commanded the 
foaming element not to approach his person, but to 
withdraw since he was lord even of the ocean ! The sea, 
it may be easily believed, little heeded the monarch's 
mandate. It gained, as usual, upon the shore, and 
would soon have drenched and submerged the royal 
personage and his suite, had they not had the prudence 
to retire. " You see," said the king, smiling, ^^ the im- 
potence of yom' sovereign : learn that supreme dominion 
is the attribute of G-od alone, w4io with a nod can 
raze the towering piles of human pride and ambition, 
and who alone can say to the ocean : ' Hitherto shalt 
thou come, and thou shalt go no farther ^ and here shalt 
thou break thy swelling waves.' " ^ 

Whatever afflictions fell to the lot of the holy king 
and prophet, David, he never murmured nor uttered the 
least complaint. On the contrary, he wished on all 
such occasions to acknowledge the goodness of God, 
and to proclaim his praises, knowing that everything 
* Job; xxxviii; 11. 



THE MYSTERY OF THE BLESSED TRrtTITY. 25 

oomes from Him as from the som-ce of all good. Thus 
was he disposed when pm'sued and persecuted by Saul, 
and long afterwards, when driven from his palace and 
from the regal city, by his unnatural son, Absalom, 
and when cursed and reviled by the ungrateful Semei.* 

M. de Ohantal, having been mortally wounded by a 
friend, who mistook him for a deer, became that friend's 
consoler, and said to him, — ^^ My dear friend, thy arrow 
had been pointed by the Most High before it left thy 
bow." — Life of St. F. de Ohantal. 

Madame de S^vign^, speaking of Marshal Turenne, 
says, ^^The cannon which killed this great man was 
loaded from all eternity ; '^ — a thought as true as it is 
energetic. — Letters of Madame de Sevigne. 

ExERCiSE8.-^l. Is it possible for us to conceive what God 
really is ? — 2. What can communicate, at least imperfectly^ the 
knowledge of God ? — 3. What do you mean by saying that God 
is a spirit? — 4. Are not the angels and our souls spirits? — 5. 
Why do we say that God is eternal ? — 6. Why^ almighty ? — 1. 
Why, independent? — 8. Why, unchangeable? — 9. Why, infi- 
nite? — 10. Why, immense? — 11. What means the providence of 
God? — 12. What two important duties flow from the principle 
that there is a Providence ? 



SECTION VI. 

"l BELIEVE FN- GOD," &C. 

Of the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity, 

Although God is but one in nature, yet there are in 
God three really distinct persons, called the Father, the 
Son, and the Holy Ghost. This truth is called the 
mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. God himself re- 
vealed it, in a sensible manner, at the baptism of Jesus 
Christ, when the Holy Ghost was seen descending upon 
him in the form of a dove, and the voice of the Fatlier 
was heard acknowledging him pu])licly as his only Son : 
" Heaven was opened," says the Evangelist, " and the 
Holy Ghost descended, in a bodily shape, as a dove, 
upon him ) and a voice came from Heaven : ^ Thou art 

* 2 Kings, xvi, 10. 
2 



26 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIA]^. 

my beloved Son ; in tliee I am well pleased.' '^ * Jesus 
Christ himself clearly revealed it^ when he commanded 
his apostles to baptize all nations in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; show- 
ing that these three persons are equal to one another. 
This truth is confirmed by St. John, when he says, 
" There are three who give testimony in Heaven ; the 
Father, the Word, and the Holy Spuit 5 and these three 
are one.'' t 

This mystery of the Blessed Trinity is the great ob- 
ject of our faith, and there is no one truth the remem- 
brance of which religion so frequently recalls. All our 
prayers begin and end with the invocation of the three 
divine Persons. The sign of the cross, which is so 
frequently used in the ceremonies of the Church, and 
in the ordinary actions of Christians, is made in their 
name. Although w^e must not divide the divine nature, 
which is one^ we must be careful not to confound the 
persons, which are really distinct. The Father is the 
same God ^s the Son, but not the same person ; the 
Holy Ghost is the same God as the Father and the Son, 
but not the same person as either. The three divine 
Persons are not three Gods, because they have but one 
and the same divine nature 5 hence, they are equal to 
one another in all things ; the one is not greater, wiser, 
nor older than either of the others ; they have all the 
same power, the same ^dsdom, the same eternity. 

This incomprehensible truth is above human reason, 
not contrary to it, as some heretics assert. We do not 
say that there are three Gods in one God, but three 
persons in one God. Nor should we represent to our- 
selves the three persons in body and soul like ours ; 
the three persons in God are purely spiritual. The 
first person is the Father, the second person is the Son, 
begotten of the Father from all eternity; the third 
person is the Holy Ghost, who proceeds from the Father 
and the Son. Such is the knowledge which God has 
been pleased to reveal of this sublime mystery. Man 
could not have of himself attained to this knowledge, 
* Luke; ui, 21, 22. 1 1 John, v, 7, 



THE MYSTEEY OP THE BLESSED TRINITY. 27 

but Godj wlio is truth itself, and who can neither deceive 
nor be deceived, having revealed it to us, we believe it 
with undoubting faith, resting on the authority of his 
infallible word. 

There is nothing more reasonable than that man 
should submit his reason to God's authority, for it is not 
in spiritual things alone that the weakness of man's 
understanding is seen. How many things are there in 
natm-e which he cannot comprehend, but which, never- 
theless, are certain and indubitable ! Can we conceive 
how a grain of wheat cast into the earth, produces a 
multitude of others; how a dry and apparently withered 
trunk sends forth such a variety of leaves and flowers, 
and such a profusion of delicious fruits ; with a thousand 
other wonders which nature daily presents to our view ? 
When a learned astronomer speaks to his pupils of the 
immensity of the heavens, of the countless multitude of 
the heavenly bodies, of their bulk, of their distance, 
and, in fine, of the velocity and regularity of their 
motions ; when he tells them, for instance, that the sun is 
1,400,000 times as large as our earth, and that his distance 
from it is 95,000,000 of miles, they cannot comprehend 
what he tells them; but, conscious that they are yet only 
children, they believe all this on the word of a m^an 
in whose veracity they confide. When there is question 
of the nature of God, all men are but children. They 
will one day arrive at the plenitude of perfect age ; 
their darkness will be dissipated, and they will see 
clearly what they can now neither penetrate nor com- 
prehend. St. Augustine says, that ^^to wish to pene- 
trate this mystery here below, is temerity ; to believe it 
by the light of faith, is the fruit of piety ; to contemplate 
it in the other life, is sovereign felicity." 

The human soul is an illustrious image of the Trinity. 
Like the Father, it has being ; like the Son, it has 
intelligence ; and like the Holy Ghost, it has love. Like 
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, it has in its 
being, intelligence and love, one and the same happiness, 
one and the same life. Nothing can be taken from it, 
unless all be taken. Perfect in its life, understanding. 



28 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAI^. 

and love, it understands what it is, and loves what it 
understands : its being and its operations are inseparable. 
Happy lie who secures the happiness for which his im- 
mortal soul was created. 

Moses, in his history of the creation, informs uS, 
that before the formation of Adam, God said, "Let Us 
make man to our image and likeness/^* The words, 
"God said,'^ show the unity of the Godhead; "Let Us 
make,'^ show the plurality of the Persons. And the Lord, 
in reproaching Adam for disobeying his just commands, 
ironically said, " Behold, Adam is become as one of Us, 
knowing good and evil.'^t Here it is evident, that God 
speaks to an equal, and from those words it is also evid- 
ent that God was speaking to his equal when He said, 
" Let LTs make man to our image and likeness." The 
prophet David says, "By the word of the Lord the 
heavens were established ; and all the power of them 
by the spirit of his mouth fX and in these makes express 
mention of the three divine Persons ; the Lord^ who is 
the Father ; the Word of the Lord, who is the Son ; and 
the Spirit of tlie Lord, who is the Holy Ghost. Thus, 
it appears that the mystery of the Holy Trinity was in- 
timated in the Old Law, though not so clearly 
taught as in the New ; for, to teach it clearly, was re- 
served for Him who commanded his disciples to "go and 
teach all nations ; baptizing them in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."§ 



Two men, blind from their bhi;h, the one ignorant and 
impious, the other pious and well-instructed, coji versing 
together, the former said to the latter — " How can there 
be three persons in one God, while each of the three 
persons is God, although there is but one God. I cannot 
understand how that can be, and think it very silly to 
believe what one cannot comprehend." " I firmly believe 
it," replied the other, " and, in thus believing, am not 
foolish, but the contrary." " If you can prove that," said 
the impious man, " my cane — good and beautiful as it is — 
shall be yours." " And pray," said the good man, " how 
* Gen., i, 26. t Gen.; iii, 22. t Ps., xxxii, 6. § Matt., xxviii; 19. 



THE CREATIOI^, 29 

do you know tliat your cane is pretty ? wbat can a blind 
man know of beauty ? We who are blind, can form no 
conception of colors. Who could make us comprehend 
the difference between red and yellow — green and blue ? 
Are we, therefore, to deny that there are colors, and 
that there is a difference between them, until we can 
understand what constitutes that difference ? " ^^ Certainly 
not," replied the other, ^^we have so many reasons to 
believe the fact — all men who are not blind assure us of 
its truth.'' ^^ And so,'' rejoined the good man, '^ men tell 
us that there are colors, and we believe them ; but God 
has revealed the mysteries of which we have just spoken, 
and yet we will not believe Him ! Have we not far more 
reason to believe the mysteries of our holy religion, than 
to believe in the existence of colors? The Catholic 
Church, which teaches us the mysteries of faith, has been 
divinely established — she will instruct you in them. 
Lead a life of faith, vivified by charity, till God shall call 
you out of this world ; then you shall be no longer blind, 
but shall behold God face to face as He really is." 



Exercises. — 1. What do you understand by the mystery of 
the Blessed Trinity ? — 2. When^ and by whom; was this mystery 
revealed to us ? — 3. How is the mystery of the Blessed Trinity 
considered? — 4. What recalls to our mind this fundamental 
dogma? — 5. What should we know concerning this august 
mystery ? — 6. Though above our comprehension, is it reasonable 
to believe in it? — 7. Have we in ourselves an image of the 
Blessed Trinity? 



SECTION VIL 

^^ I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE EATHER ALMIGHTY, CREATOR 



?; 



OE HEAVE]Sr AND EARTH. 

Of the Creation, 

The world which we inhabit is not eternal j it had a 
beginning. The book which gives the history of its 
creation is the most ancient in existence, and is, like all 
the sacred writings, most authentic and worthy of credit. 
" In the beginning,^' says this inspired volume, ^^ God 



30 DUTIES OF A CHE1STIA:N". 

created heaven and eartli/'* that is — made all things. 
God has existed from all eternity, and nothing else than 
He alone could have been from eternity. In time, at 
the moment chosen by himself, He created the heavens 
and the earth out of nothing, by a single act of his 
almighty will : " He spoke and they were made : He 
commanded, and they were created.'^ t -If we transport 
ourselves, in spirit, back to the time of the creation, 
with what admiration shall we be filled, at seeing 
myriads of beautiful and perfect creatures start into 
existence at the voice of God, that is, by his omnipotent 
will ! 

God employed six days in the work of the creation. 
He could as easily have accomplished it in a single 
instant ; but He wished to show that He acts without 
constraint and according to his good will and pleasm^e. 
On the first day He created the heavens and the earth. 
^^ And God said, ' Be light made : ' and light was made.'^f 
On the second day He made the fiimament — ^the 
immense vault which we call the heavens. "Let there 
be a firmament,'^ said the Lord, "and it was so.'^§ It did 
not then possess its present brilliancy, and was, as yet, 
like an immense pa^dlion, destitute of ornament — the sun 
and the -stars not being yet created. On the third day 
God collected the waters together, and separated them 
from the land ; He also commanded the earth to bring 
forth trees and plants, to each of which He imparted 
the wonderful property of reproducing others of the same 
species, by means of seeds. Thus, at the order of God, 
a dry and sterile surface became, in an instant, a delight- 
ful landscape, covered with smiling meadows, with fertile 
valleys, adorned with fi-uits and flowers, and with hills 
and mountains, crowned with stately forests. 

On the fourth day God created the sun and moon, and 
adorned the firmament with a multitude of stars, vvhich 
charm our sight and astonish our imagination. On the 
fifth day He created the birds and fishes, saying "Let 
the waters bring forth the creeping creature having life^ 
and the fowl that may fly over the earth under the firma- 
* Gen., i, 1. t Ps., cxlviii, 5. t Gen., i, 3, § Gen._, i, 6, 7. 



THE CREATIOIS^. 31 

merit of lieaven;'^ * and presently tlie deep was filled 
with inmateSj and tlie air with an innumerable variety 
of birds. 

On the sixth day^ " God said, ^ Let the earth bring 
forth the living creature in its kind, cattle and creeping 
things, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.' 
And it was so done."t Thus were created the various 
animals which inhabit the earth, from the smallest 
worm, to the huge elepbant ; from the garden-bee to the 
mountain-eagle ; from the smallest reptile, to the largest 
serpent j from the minute animalculum that escapes the 
eye, to the enormous whale which, like an animated 
mountain, agitates the deep ,• in fine, from the meanest 
insect, to the most finished form in the animal creation. 
How admirably various are their conformation, their 
qualities, and their instincts ! To some wei'e given 
strength ; to others, industry ; and to all, the qualities 
necessary for fulfilling tlieir respective destinies. All 
creatures being thus created, God resolved to give 
them a master, and created the first man, whom He 
called Adam. 



The most illustrious of naturalists, the immortal Lin- 
naBus, after an extensive and profound study of nature, 
thus expresses himself: — 

^^ I have seen pass by the shadow of the eternal God 
— ^the Immense, Omnipotent, sovereignly Wise — and I 
have been stupified with wonder. I have followed his 
foot-prints on the universe, and, oh ! what power, what 
intelligence, what fathomless perfection, are displayed 
in all his works, even to the least, and such as hardly 
have a being ! I have observed that the existence of 
animals is founded on vegetables ; that of vegetables, 
on minerals ; that of minerals, on the earth ; and that 
the earth is vivified by the sun, about which it continually 
revolves with unvarying regidarity. I have conten^jj- 
plated the sun turning on its axis, like the other stars, 
and the assemblage of stars, whose number is incalcul- 
able, suspended and put in motion in boundless space, by 
* Gen., i, 20. t Gen., i, 24. 



32 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAJSr. 

the ineffable and priraitive Mover — ^the Being of beings, 
the Cause of causes, tbe Author, Regulator, and Pre- 
server of all things, and Monarch of the universe.'^ — 
Systema Nature. 



ExERCiSES.^1. Of what does the first article of the Creed 
treat ? — 2. Has the world always existed ? — 3. What book gives 
the history of its creation? — 4. Is this book worthy of belief f* — 

5. How many days did God employ in the creation of the world ? — 

6. Was it necessary that He should employ this time in its 
creation?-^?. What did God create on the first day? — 8. On the 
second?— 9. On the third?— 10. On the fourth ?— 11. On the 
fifth ? — 12. On the sixth ? — 13. How did He crown the creation 
of the world? 



CHAPTER II. 

OF THE AIs^GELS AKD OF MEN. 

Angels and men are the most perfect beings which 
God has created^ because they alone possess understand- 
ing, are capable of knowing and loving their Creator, 
and are made to be eternally happy in the possession of 
Him. 



SECTION I. 
Of tlie Angels. 

Although no mention is made of the Angels in the 
account of the creation, it is believed they were created 
on the first day, when God said, ^' Let there be light /^ t 
This is the opinion of St. AugTistine. God, says the 
Scriptm'e, made the Angels in Heaven, and created an 
innumerable multitude of them. The Angels are pure 
spirits not destined, like our souls, to be united with 
bodies. The name angel signifies messenger, and the 
Holy Scriptm^e furnishes a variety of examples, in which 
these blessed spirits have been deputed to men : — ^the 
Angel Gabriel to Zachary, and to the Blessed Virgin ; 
Raphael to Tobias, &c. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, 
Gideon, and a great number of other holy persons, have 
* See Chapter on Eevelation^ page 9. t Gen., i. 3. 



THE Al^GELS. 33 

been favored witli angelical visions. These blessed 
spirits are represented with wings, to show the prompti 
tude with which they execute the orders of God. 

The Ang€ls were created with free will ; all could 
have remained faithful and could have merited the 
happiness for which they had been created ; but the 
chief amongst them, Lucifer — so named, on account of 
the great splendor and beauty with which he had been 
adorned — forgot the duty he owed his Creator, and 
wished to become his equal. A great number of the 
heavenly spirits followed his example 5 but a still 
greater number followed that of the Archangel Michael,* 
who, placing himself at their head, overcame these rebel- 
lious spirits. " Michael,'' in Hebrew, signifies, ^^ Who is 
like unto God ? Who so great, so powerful, so holy, or so 
just 1 ^^ These wicked spirits were cast into hell, where 
they shall endure the most terrific punishments for all 
eternity. 

God, to give us an occasion of proving our love for 
Him, and of meriting a greater recompense, permits 
these spirits of darkness, who are also called devils, to 
tempt us to evil ', but He, at the same time, gives us 
the graces necessary to resist their suggestions. We 
may prevent their attacks by prayer and vigilance, and 
overcome them by the grace which Jesus Christ has 
purchased for us by his sufierings and death. The 
angels who had remained faithful were confirmed in 
grace, and entered into the joy of the Lord, with which 
they will be eternally inebriated in the contemplation 
of his ineffable perfections. 

There are three hierarchies of these blessed spirits, 
and in each hierarchy three different orders. The first 
hierarchy comprehends the Seraphim, tbe Cherubim, 
and the Thrones ; the second, the Dominations, the 
Virtues, and the Powers ,• the third, the Principalities, the 
Archangels, and the Angels. Their occupation, as wo 
ate taught by the Holy Scriptures, is to sing the praises 
of God, to adore Him, present our prayers to Him, and 
protect those who invoke their assistance. We should 
* Rev., xii,17. 



34 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAi^. 

entertain great respect for all these blessed spirits^ but in 
a particular manner for our Guardian Angel. We know 
from the words of Jesus Christ himseK^ * that the 
smallest child has one of these blessed sphits as his 
guardian and protector. What sweet consolation^ to 
be assured that we have always with us a protector^ 
whom God has sent us fi'om Heaven, who watches over 
us day and night, to prevent the angel of darkness 
doing us injury ; and that we have in him a true friend, 
equally faithful, wise, enlightened, and powerful; a 
secure guide, filled with zeal, to direct us in the path 
which leads to Heaven ! Why are we unmindful of 
what these Angels do for us 1 Should not the remem- 
brance of it fill our heart with gratitude, confidence, 
and love, and prompt us to be docile to their inspirations, 
fei-vent in invoking their assistance, and faithful in 
imitating then example ! 



After the return from the Babylonian captivity, the 
holy man Tobias, believing himseK near death, advised 
his son to seek out a faithfal guide who should conduct 
him to Ecbatana, where his kinsman, Gabelus, to whom 
he had lent a large sum of money, resided. The young 
Tobias going out, met, under the guise of a traveller, 
ready for a journey, the Angel Raphael, who instantly 
offered to conduct him safely. Arrived near Rages, the 
heavenly conductor informed him that the Almighty 
had destined him to be the husband of Sara, the 
daughter of his kinsman, Raguel. At this news, the 
young man was struck with terror, knowing that Sara 
had been the wife of seven husbands, each of whom 
had died the first night of their nuptials ; but the angel 
assured him that no evil would happen to him if he 
obeyed his instructions. He did so, and everything 
occurred as the angel had predicted. 

Gabelus was invited to the marrage, and paid Tobias 

the debt which he owed. In a few days the travellers 

commenced their journey homewards. On then return, 

the young Tobias first adored God, according to the 

*^ Matt., xviii, 10. 



OF ma:n^. 35 

instructions of his guide^ and tlien approaclied liis father, 
who was blind, and rubbed his eyes with the gall of 
•^ a monstrous fish ^^ which ''- came up to devour him/^ * 
when he went to wash his feet in the Tigris, and which 
the angel told him how he might destroy. No sooner 
had he anointed his father's eyes, than the good old 
man, to his great joy, recovered his sight. The Angel 
having fulfilled his commission, made known to the 
happy family who he was, and thus addressed Tobias : 
^^ The Lord hath sent me to heal thee, and to deliver 
Sara, thy son's wife, from the devil. For I am the 
Angel Raphael, one of the seven who stand before the 

Lord When thou didst pray with tears, and didst 

bury the dead, and didst leave thy dinner, and hide the 
dead by day in thy house, and bury them by night, I 
offered thy prayer to the Lord. And because thou wast 
acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation 
should prove thee.'' Seeing them seized with fear, he 
added sweetly, ^^ Peace be to you ; fear not j " t and then 
vanished out of their sight. The services which the 
Angel Raphael thus rendered to young Tobias, are a 
figm-e of those which our Guardian Angels daily render 
us. 



Exercises. — 1. Name the most perfect beings that God has 
created. — 2. Why are they the most perfect %—Z. When were the 
Angels created? — 4. What are Angels'? — 5. What does the word 
angel signify % — 6. Did all the Angels remain faithful to God ? — 
7. Why does God tolerate these spirits of darkness to tempt us ? 
— 8. Classify the Angels. — 9. What do the Holy Scriptures teach 
us concerning their occupation? — 10. What are our duties 
towards our Guardian Angel? 



SECTION II. 

Of Man. 

God, wishing to distinguish man from the rest of 
creatures, seemed to hold consultation within himself at 
the moment of his creation, saying, ^^ Let Us make man 

^ TobiaS; vi; 2. tibid., xii. 



36 DUTIES OE A CHRTSTIAif. 

to our image and likeness.'^* He formed his body 
of the earth, and animated it by an immortal soul, cap- 
able of loving, willing, and thinking. Man, thus 
formed to the image and likeness of God, is capable of 
possessing Him eternally, if he render himseK worthy 
of that happiness, by practising the virtues which God 
has commanded. 

A companion was necessary for the first man, and 
therefore a woman was created ; she was taken from his 
side, and received the name of Eve : thus was mar- 
riage first instituted. All mankind have descended 
from our first parents, Adam and Eve, and ought, there- 
fore, to consider themselves as members of one common 
family, and love one another as children of one common 
father. Observe, that man has not only a bod}^, which 
is mortal, but also a soul, capable of thinking and lov- 
ing, and which, in its own natm'e, is immortal and 
indestructible. 



One of the Roman emperors had a stag which was 
nearly tame. It was fed at the palace, to which it 
returned ever}^ day, after having roamed through the 
neighboring fores!. The emperor, with whom it was a 
favorite, fearing that, during his excursions, any one 
might pm^sue and wound it, had a golden collar put 
around its neck, and on it were engraved the words, 
'^ Touch me not : I belong to Csesar.^^ 

We came forth from God ; we belong to Him ; He 
therefore marks us with his seal — our souls with their 
faculties, oin- bodies mth their senses, bear the impress 
of the Divinity. Let us, then, never suffer ourselves 
to be seduced by bad example, or drawn away by pas- 
sion, for thus we should become the slaves of the mali- 
cious spirit, who is the great enemy of our happiness. 



Exercises. — 1. How did the Almighty distinguish man fi'om 
the rest of creatures? — 2. How was Eve formed? — 3. What may 
we deduce from the fact that we are descendants of the same 
father ? — 4. Of what is man composed ? 

* Gen., i, 26. 



IMMOETALITY OF THE SOUL 37 

SECTION III. 

On the Immortality of the Soul, 

The belief of tlie immortality of the soul was held by the 
ancient patriarchs^ and prophets, and by all the adorers of 
the true God, as well as by the faithful, under the new 
dispensation j and no less made by them the governing 
principle of their conduct. The most renowned sages of 
antiquity — Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and many 
others, have, by the light of reason, aided by some tradi- 
tional reminiscences, acknowledged that death is not the 
end of the whole man, but that his soul — the more noble 
part — survives this catastrophe, which is nothing more 
than the separation of the two substances — the soul and 
the body— of which man is composed. 

We are as convinced that w^e possess these two sub- 
stances, as we are that we exist ; for that which thinks 
in us, which is capable of so great a variety of know- 
ledge and sentiment, cannot be material. The dogma 
of the immortality of the soul is not founded upon simple 
conjectures, nor upon mere probabilities 5 the primitive 
revelation, the general persuasion of mankind, the 
ideas which God has given of his power, justice, and 
goodness, are all so many foundations of this truth, 
as consoling to the virtuous, as it is terrifying to the 
wicked. 

After his sin, man was condemned to death ; his body 
was to return into its mother dust ; but if his soiil was to 
perish with his body, if this principle of life, which 
emanated from the Creator, was to be annihilated, the 
promise of a Redeemer would be absurd, and totally 
without a motive. The belief of a future state, and conse- 
quently of the immortality of the soul, was always one of 
the fundamental articles of religion ; it was the hope of 
our first parents ; it is also om^s, and will be realized if 
we observe, faithfully, the precepts which the Lord has 
given us. It was the belief of the entire world; and 
idolatry, far from destroying it, had added to its strength, 
or rather it was the abuse of this belief which was one 
of the sources of pagan worship ; for never would divine 



38 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAif. 

honors have been paid to men after their death if there 
had not been a firm belief in a future existence. 

Grod, in creating our souls with such rare capacities, 
could have had no other object than to make them 
happy, by the possession of a good, suited to the nature 
with which He had endowed them. But can such good 
be found in this world "? or is the virtuous man always 
the happiest ? Alas ! every day's experience teaches the 
contrary. The divine justice is another proof of the 
souFs immortality. We frequently, in this world, see 
vice triumphant, and virtue trampled upon , the impious 
man possessed of affluence ; the good, in misery. 
Order must be established^ virtue must be rewarded and 
vice punished. But how could order be established, or 
justice exercise her rights, if the soul were not immortal ? 
Remorse, it may be said, is the punishment of guilt ; 
but what would remorse be without faith? We may, 
then, say with truth, that to deny the immateriality of 
the soul, and consequently its immortality, would not 
only be contrary to the general belief of mankind, but 
even to sound reason and common sense. 

This truth, believed at all times, and by almost all 
mankind, is, no doubt, terrifying to the impious ; it 
pursues him everywhere 5 it rends his heart, notwith- 
standing his efforts to tranquillize it. The unbounded 
liberty which he gives to his passions, makes eternity 
terrible to him, because he has nothing advantageous to 
hope for 5 he wishes not to believe, but remorse pursues 
him ; he doubts, but he cannot persuade himself. Thus in- 
credulity discovers the guil ty soul. ' ' When the thought of 
the future visits the incredulous, he cringes, he trembles, 
he doubts, he believes. '^ The just, on the contrary, find in 
this truth the strength necessary for bearing with resigna- 
tion the sufferings of this life ) and on it, too, they found 
then hopes for eternity. 

A few hours before his death, Bernardine St. Pierre, 
author of the SUidies of Nature j seeing his children weep- 
ing around his bed, addressed them in these affecting terms : 
'^^My dear children, death shall separate us for a short time 
only ) then, render not my departure so painful to me. I 



THE FALL OF MAN". 39 

feel that I quit the earth, but it is only that I may 
enter into life. Farewell ! — avoid evil — do good — live 
in a Christian manner, — and we shall soon meet again, 
never more to part.^' 

Exercises. — 1. Are Christians the only ones who have recog- 
nized the immortality of the soul ? — 2. Wliat are the foundations of 
our belief in the immortality of the soul ? — 3. How is the promise 
of a Redeemer a proof of the immortality of the soul ? — 4. How 
has thebelief of a future state always been regarded?— 5. Show us 
that idolatry has not destroyed this belief. — 6. Is divine justice 
another proof of the existence of a future state ? — 7. How so ? — 
8. What are the effects of this belief on the impious and the just ? 



SECTION IV. 

Of tlie Fall of Man. 

Man, when he came forth from the hands of his Creator 
was just, holy, happy, and adorned with many noble and 
excellent qualities j his understanding was illuminated by 
a divine light, which informed him of all that was necessary 
for liim to know. His will was upright, without the least in- 
clination to evil; nothing troubled the peace and tranquil- 
lity of his soul ; nor was his body subject to inconvenience, 
disease, or death. The majesty of God required that He 
should exact of man the devotion of his heart, and proofs 
of his love and obedience. When, therefore. He placed 
him in the terrestrial paradise. He forbade him to touch 
the fruit of a particular tree, but allowed him, at the same 
time, to eat the fruit of every other. This command, so 
easy to be observed — particularly by man in the state of 
innocence, when his will was naturally inclined to good — 
was accompanied by an awful threat, that its violation 
would be visited with the penalty of death : ^^ In what day 
soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death."* 
Notwithstanding the benefits of God, and the fear which 
this threat must naturally have excited, tlie woman yielded 
to the suggestions of the devil. In order to deceive her, the 
devil took the form of a serpent, and, having told her that 

^ Gen., i, 17. 



40 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAK. 

by eating of tlie forbidden tree, she should become like 
God, knowing good and evil, she ate the fruit, and after- 
wards made Adam a partner in her disobedience. 

By their disobedience, our first parents lost all the 
advantages which God, at their creation, had bestowed 
upon them. A thick darkness overspread their under- 
standing 5 their will became depraved; their passions 
obscured the light of reason; and the inclinations of 
thek heart became corrupt and prone to evil. In losing 
original justice, and separating themselves from God, 
they became subject to eternal damnation ; their bodies 
were condemned to labor, sickness, and death. These 
terrible consequences of Adam^s sin have descended to 
all his posterity. In disobeying God, he lost himself, 
and the whole human race, of which he was t^ie head. 
We, being descended from him, have become inheritors 
of his sin and its penalties, as we would have been of 
his innocence and happiness, had he not violated the 
command which God had imposed upon him. The sin 
thus transmitted to us is called original sirij with which 
we are infected before our entrance into the world. " I 
was conceived in iniquity,'^ says the Prophet David, 
" and in sins did my mother conceive me : '^ * and St, 
Paul, speaking of it, says, '' By one man sin entered 
the world, and by sin death : and so death passed upon 
all men, in whom all have sinned.^' t 

The pagan philosophers themselves have, by the aid 
of human reason, arrived, not indeed at the knowledge 
of this truth, but at the belief that man is bom guilty 
of some crime. The sight of the miseries to which, 
from infancy, he is subject, has led them to this belief. 
Indeed, without the belief of original sin, man is him- 
self a mystery still more inexplicable ; for how are we 
otherwise to account for all the contradictions that are 
found in him? So much dignity and baseness; so 
much light and darkness ; so lively an inclination for 
happiness, and such profound misery ! He approves 
what is good, but does not practise it ; he condemns 
6vil, and yet commits it. The knowledge of original 
• * Ps., 1, 7. t Rom., V, 12. 



THE FALL OF MA]^. 4^ 

sin can alone unravel tliese difficulties, and reconcile 
these contradictions. 

The virtue and knowledge which man possesses, come 
directly from God, and from the good qualities with 
which he was originally endowed; they are the 
beautiful remains of a great edifice which has crumbled 
to ruins. Vice and ignorance are the consequences of 
sin, which has corrupted God's work, and so defiled his 
image in man, that it can scarcely be recognized. We 
see an example of this rigorous justice in the conduct 
of a king, who punishes a rebellious subject by degrading 
him and his posterity. Comparisons drawn from human 
things are, however, always imperfect; the rules of 
human justice are but a shadow of those of God's justice; 
they may assist om- faith, but they cannot discover to us 
the depth of that impenetrable mystery. 

God had created man to render him and all his posterity 
eternally happy. Man being just and holy coming 
from the hands of God, it was his duty to preserve these 
precious advantages, and to transmit them unimpaired 
to his children. This he could have done by remaining 
faithful. Had he persevered in justice, he would have 
communicated his own happiness to his descendants, 
and have thus secured their eternal felicity. But by 
his disobedience he forfeited all ; and the consequences 
of his sin — ignorance, inclination to evil, the miseries 
of ILfe, the death of the body, and loss of the soul — 
have been transmitted to us. Thus, we should forever 
have been excluded from Heaven, had not God provided 
a remedy for our evils, by sending a Redeemer. 

" And the Lord called Adam, and said to him, ^ Where 
art thou ? ' And he said, ' I heard thy voice in paradise ; 
and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid my- 
self.' And he said to him, ^ And who hath told thee 
that thou wast naked, but that thou hast eaten of the 
tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not 
eat 1 ' And Adam said, ^ The woman whom Thou gav- 
est me for a companion, gave me of the tree, and I did 
eat.' And the Lord God said to the woman, ^ Why 



42 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAI^. 

hast thou done this ? ' And she answered, ^ The serpent 
deceived me, and I did eat.' And the Lord God said 
to the serpent: ^Because thou hast done this thing, 
thou art cursed among all cattle and beasts of the earth; 
upon thy breast shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat 
all the days of thy life. I will put enmities between 
thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed : she 
shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her 
heel/ To the woman also He said : ' I will multiply 
thy sorrows and thy conceptions ; in sorrow thou shalt 
bring forth children, and thou shalt be under thy hus- 
band's power, and he shall have dominion over thee.' 
And to Adam He said : ^ Because thou hast hearkened 
to the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, 
whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat, 
cursed is the earth of thy work ; mth iabor and toil 
shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life. Thorns 
and thistles shall it bring foiih to thee, and thou shalt 
eat the herbs of the earth. In the sweat of thy face 
thou shalt eat bread till thou return to the earth, out of 
which thou wast taken ; for dust thou art, and into dust 
thou shalt return,' " — Genesis, chap. iii. 



Exercises. — 1. In what state was man created? — 2. To what 
trial did the Almighty subject him ? — 3. Did Adam remain faith- 
ful to this command? — 4. What were the consequences of his 
disobedience ? — 5. Have we become inheritors of Adam^s sin f — 
6. What is the sin thus transmitted called ? — 7. Had the pagan 
philosophers any idea of the original fall? — 8. Can the contra- 
dictions that are found in man's heart be accounted for without 
the belief of original sin? — 9. What would have been the conse- 
quence had man persevered in justice ? 



CHAPTER III. 

AETICLE II. ^^ AND IN JESUS CHEIST, HIS OKLY SOK", 



OTTR LORD 



SECTION I. 

Of the JPrmnise of a Bedeemer, 
Man would be lost mthout resource, had not God's 



THE PROMISE OF A EEBEEMEK, 43 

mercy interposed to save liim. He had offended an in- 
finite majesty, and was, CQnsequently, incapable of re- 
pairing his sin, since he was incapable of offering in- 
finite satisfaction j but, by a gratuitous mercy, God, be- 
fore He pronounced against Adam the decree of his 
condemnation, comforted him with the promise of a fu- 
ture Eedeemer, cursing the serpent, and declaring that 
the seed of the woman should crush his head, that is, 
should overcome the devil. Such was the meaning 
attached to it hj our first parents and by their descend- 
ants. 

This promise was not fulfilled until about four 
thousand years. 5 but it was frequently repeated during 
this long interval. It was renewed to Abraham, when 
he was chosen to be the father of a people by whom 
God w^as particularly to be honored. ^' Go forth,'^ said 
He to him, ^^ out of thy country and from thy kindred, 
and out of thy father^s house, and come into the land 
which I shall show thee. And I will make of thee a 
great nation, and I will bless thee, and magnify thy 
name. * * * And in thee shall all the ki:^;- 
DRED OF the EARTH BE BLESSED.^^ * This promise was 
renev/ed in similar terms to Isaac and Jacob. The 
latter clearly foretold the coming of the Deliverer, pro- 
mised fi-om the beginning of the world. Being on his 
death-bed, and announcing by the spirit of God to his 
twelve sons, what was to befall their posterity in future 
ages, he addressed Juda, his fourth son, in these remark- 
able words : ^^ Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise ; thy 
hands shall be on the necks of thy enemies j the sons 
of thy father shall bow down to thee. * * * The scep- 
tre shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from 
his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall 
BE the expectation^ OF ITATIONS.^^ t Thus was the 
promise made to Adam and to Abraham, more clearly 
developed. The Eedeemer of mankind is to be born 
in the family of Juda, and the time of his coming is 
pointed out — when the sceptre, that is, the preemince or 
principal authority, is taken away from the house of Juda. 
^ Gen., xii; 1. t Gen., xUx, 8, 10. 



44 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIA]^. 

Three hundred years after the death of Jacob, God, 
wishing to deliver his people from the yoke of the Egyp- 
tians, who oppressed them, raised up Moses, whom He 
filled with his spirit, and to whom He imparted the gift 
of miracles. This holy man, having conducted the He- 
brew people to the borders of the promised land, and 
being now on his death-bed, assembled them around 
him, and renewed to them the promise of a Deliverer 
more powerful than himself, and alone capable of 
introducing them into the true land of promise, of 
which Canaan was but a figure. Thus God kept up 
among his people the expectation of the Savior promised 
to their fathers. This Prophet, greater than Moses, the 
Savior of his people, and Author of a new alliance, be- 
fore whom Moses was to be silent, and who alone at 
his coming was to be heard to speak, is the Savior of 
mankind, whose doctrine was one day to enlighten the 
world, and of whom God himself would be heard to 
say, '^ This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 
pleased; hear ye him. '^ * Until his coming, there had 
not appeared in all Israel a prophet like to Moses, to 
whom God spoke face to face, and who gave a law to 
his people. 

Whilst Daniel poured forth his soul before the Lord, 
and offered up fervent prayers for his people, the Angel 
Gabriel came to him by the orders of God, and in- 
structed him concerning the time when the Messiah, 
whom he called the Eternal Justice and the Holy of Holies , 
should, according to the decrees of God, appear upon 
the earth. He also informed him of the time in which 
the Christ, the long promised and expected Messiah, 
would be put to death. This favor was, he said, granted 
him by God, because he was " a man of desires.^' t 



Exercises. — 1. What would become of man had not the 

Messiah made his appearance ? — 2. At what circumstance, and 
for what motive, did God make the first announcement of the 

* Matt., xvii; 5. t Vide Daniel, ix. 



THE PROMISE OE A REDEEMER. 45 

Messiah ? — 3. What promise was afterwards made to Abraham ? 
— 4. Tell us the prophecy of Jacob ? — -5. Did Moses foretell the 
Messiah ? 



SECTION 11. 

Development of the Promises. Future Conver- 
sion of the Gentiles, 

All the nations of the earth, with the exception of the 
JewSj were plunged in the darkness and disorders of 
idolatry. God was almost forgotten, and the devil, 
under various forms, everywhere adored. To this im- 
pious worship, confirmed by time, all the passions 
ministered their support ; and it would seem as if men 
would never renounce errors so ancient, so accredited, and 
so universal. God, however, had resolved to destroy the 
empire of Satan, as He had promised to Adam, and to 
recall mankind to the knowledge of the truth. 

So great a work was reserved for the Messiah ; and 
one of the most sensible marks of his coming was, that 
he would enlighten and convert all the nations of the 
earth. Nor did God fail, from time to time, to make 
known this event, so favorable to the Gentiles. All 
the prophets saw it by a divine light ^ they predicted 
it many ages before its accomplishment, and on oc- 
casions, too, when it appeared incredible. They all 
foretold that the Messiah would dissipate the darkness 
which covered the face of the earth ; that he would en- 
lighten the Gentiles ; that he w^ould be their Liberator, 
as well as that of the Jews, and would make of both 
but one people — adorers of the true God, The prophets 
were the harbingers whom the great King sent before 
his Son, to keep alive in the minds of men the expecta- 
tion of ins coming. 

All the characteristics of our Eodeemer were distinctly 
pointed out, together with the chief circumstances which 
should accompany his birth, life, death, and resurrection. 
His history may be said to have been written before ho 
made his appearance among men. The royal prophet 
spoke of the Messiah in the clearest terms. He styled 



46 DUTIES or A chkistia:s'. 

him his Lord, and acknowledged Mm to be the Son of 
God- He foretold that his kingdom would extend over 
all nations, and would have no other limits than those 
of the universe ; he foretold his cruel death, and the 
chief circumstances of his passion — that his hands and 
feet would be pierced — his body violently suspended — 
his thirst quenched with vinegar and gall — his garments 
divided, and lots cast for his coat. He foretold, at the 
same time, that ^^ he should not see coniiption,^' * but 
would arise gloiious from the tomb. TMs prediction 
is the more remarkable, as it was made more than a 
thousand years before its accomplishment. Isaiah 
prophesied of the Messiah ^dth equal clearness. He 
saw him come forth from the root of Jesse, and take birth 
of a virgin Mother : and he styled him the ^'Admirable'' — 
^^ the Father of the world to come '^ — " the Prince of Peace ^^ 
— the Emmanuel . He declared that his kingdom should 
be everlasting — ^that all the nations of the eaith would 
fall prostrate before him — ^that at his word the lame 
should walk, the deaf hear, the dumb speak, the blind see, 
and the dead rise again. Ha^TLug announced the glories 
of the Eedeemer, he next foretells his hiunihations. He 
represents him as one unknown, despised — as the last 
of men — a man of sorrows, and acquainted ^dth infirmi- 
ties ; and adds, that he would be spit upon, treated as 
a ciiminaL reputed with the wicked, and that, having 
delivered himself for our ransom, he should be led to 
death as a lamb to the slaughter. But the prophet 
subjoins, that by his death the Eedeemer should bec-ome 
the head of a numerous posterity, and that the G-entiles 
would flock to him in multitudes, whilst the Jews, on 
accoimt of their incredulity, would, with the exception 
of a small number, be utterly rejected. What can be 
more detailed, unless it be the Gospel history of our 
Redeemers life ? And yet Isaiah prophesied more than 
seven hundred years before Christ's coming. 

The other prophets speak no less clearly of the 
Messiah. One foretells that '• Bethlehem Ephrata,'^ t 
one of the cities of Juda, would be rendered illustrious 
* Ps., XV, 10: Acts, ii, 27. t Miclieas, v, 2. 



THE PROMISE OE A REDEEMER. 47 

by the birtli of tlie Messiah ; anotherj that he would be 
sold for ^Hhirty pieces of silver/^ and that in the purchase 
of a potter^s field '^ * this money should be expended. 
The same prophet represents him as a ^^ king/^ but 
" poor, and riding on an ass, " t when making his entry 
into Jerusalem. Aggeus publishes the glory of the 
second temple, because the Messiah, ^^the deshed of 
all nations, '^ f would sanctify it by his presence. 

The prophet Daniel determines the precise time of 
Ohrist^s coming. Whilst his mind was occupied on the 
captivity of the Hebrew people, and the seventy weeks 
it was to last, he was suddenly elevated by the spirit of 
God, to the contemplation of greater events, viz., that 
after ^^ seventy weeks'' of years (four hundred and 
ninety years), a more deplorable captivity would 
terminate, and the whole human race be set free by the 
death of Christ— a freedom consisting in a deliverance 
from sin, and in the eternal reign of justice, — ^that in the 
last week the Christ would be put to death, that a new 
alliance would be confirmed, a.nd the ancient sacrifices 
abolished. After the death of Christ, he further adds 
that there shall be horror and confusion — the holy city 
and the sanctuary will be destroyed — the people who 
had not known him will no longer be his people — 
abominations will be seen in the holy place ,* and a 
desolation, which " will continue to the consummation, 
and to the end. '' § 

Malachy, the last of the prophets, foretells that the 
sacrifices of the Jews should be rejected ; that in their 
place a pure offering would be instituted, and that this 
clean offering and sacrifice should be offered among the 
Gentiles in every place, from the rising of the sun 
to the going down of the same, throughout the whole 
world : — ^^ For my nam.e is great among the Gentiles, 
saith the Lord of Hosts. " || These prophecies are all 
contained in the sacred writings, the autlienticity of 
which is attested by the unsupected testimony of an entire 
people, the Jews, the declared enemies of Christianity, and 

* Zach., xi, 12. Matt., xxvii, 9,10. t Zach., ix, 9. 

I AggeiiS; ii, 8. <J Dan., ix. || Mai.; i, 110. 



48 DUTIES or A CHKISTIA]^. 

who cannot avoid treating these writings with veneration, 
though they find in them their own condemnation. 
From the Jews they have descended to us ; and it would 
seem as if God has preserved that people amidst so 
many revolutions and the subversion of so many nations, 
to give a living and striking proof of the authority and 
veracity of these writings. 

To convince the most incredulous of the divinity of 
Jesus Christ, and to prove that he is the true Messiah 
promised by the Prophets, we have bat to compare 
the characteristics of the Desired of all nations with 
the events which took place at the coming of Jesus 
Christ upon earth. If we look at the predictions and then 
at the facts — holding the Old Testament in one hand 
and the New in the other — ^the resemblance is so exact 
that it is impossible not to recognize it. It is an ad- 
ditional fact, that at the time of our Savior's birth, the ex- 
pectation of the Messiah w^as general, not only in Judea, 
but throughout the entire East; and this is attested 
even by pagan writers. Suetonius tells us that it was 
an old and constant opinion in the East, that conquerors 
w^ould come from Judea who would be masters of the 
world. Tacitus expresses himself in similar terms. 
'' Many,'' he says, " were at this period persuaded that 
men should come forth from Judea who would be 
masters of the world." This general expectation was 
founded on the prophecy of Jacob, who foretold that 
the Messiah would come when the Jews were no longer 
governed by princes of the race of Juda ; and on that 
of Daniel, who had fixed the period of Christ's coming, 
to fom' hundred and ninety years. The carnal Jews 
and the pagans understood the terms of the prophecies 
relating to the Messiah in thek literal sense, and con- 
founded his spiritual empire with the sovereignty of a 
conqueror ; but the prophecies are not on this account 
the less true ; and facts attest that the Apostles, w^ho 
came forth from Judea, brought all nations under 
obedience to the law of Christ. 

The Gospel points out the literal accomplishment 
of the prophecies concerning the coming of Jesus Christ. 



MYSTERY OF THE I:N^CAR:N^ATI0N'. 49 

He was born in Bethlehem j he gave a new law to his 
people — performed the most stupendous miracles — 
sanctified the temple by his presence — died ignominiously 
on a cross — ^rose again on the third day^ &c. 

The knowledge of the true God was preserved in the 
kingdom of Ethiopia. Oandace^ who was its queen in 
the time of the Apostles^ sent one of her officers^ with 
presents, to adore the Lord in the temple of Jerusalem. 
The officer was returning, and reading in his chariot 
the prophecy of Isaiah, v/hen the Lord ordered Philip 
the Deacon to follow him. The passage which he 
was reading was this : ^^ He was led as a sheep 
to the slaughter."^ St. Philip being come up, 
thus addressed him : " Thinkest thou that thou under- 
standest what thou readest?'^ ^^ How can I," replied 
the officer, ^^ unless some man show me?" He then 
invited St. Philip into his chariot, and begged him 
to tell him " of whom doth the prophet speak this ? of 
liimself, or of some other ? " St. Philip availed him- 
self of this opportunity to speak to him of Jesus Christ, 
and of the necessity of being baptized in his name. 
The officer believed the word of the Lord which was 
spoken to him : and having come to a place in which 
there was water, he asked what was to hinder him from 
being baptized. St. Philip answered ^^ nothing, if he 
believed ; " to which he replied, '^ I believe that Jesus 
Christ is the Son of God." t Then they descended into 
the water, and St. Philip baptized him. Then St. 
Philip disappeared, and the officer continued his journey, 
wondering at what had happened, and glorifying the 
Lord for the grace he had received. It is supposed, and 
with reason, that he afterwards made Jesus Christ known 
K> his countrymen, and thus became their apostle. 



Exercises. — 1. What was the condition of almost the entire 
world before the coming of Christ? — 2. Did God, at any time, 
foretell the calling of the Gentiles to the knowledge of the Messiah? 
— 3. Who predicted in the clearest terms the coming of the 
Messiah ? — 4. Tell us of the principal circnmstances in the life of 
Jesus Christ predicted by David. — 5. What did Isaiah prophesy 
* Isa., liii, 7. t Acts, viii, 30, 34, 37. 

3 



50 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

conceraing the gi-eatness and humility of the Messiah ? — 6. What 
does Daniel foretell of the Messiah's advent ? — 7. VHiat is the 
prophecy of Malachy ? — 8. May we believe in the authenticity of 
these prophecies ? — 9. How may we conyince the most incredulous 
of the divicity of Jesus Christ, and proye that he is the true 
Messiah promised by the prophets '? — 10. What wiitings point 
out the literal accomplishment of these prophecies? 



CHAPTEE lY. 

AUTICLE 3. — ^^yrKO WAS CONCEITED BY THE HOLT 
GHOST, AXD BOEX OE THE TERGEN' MART.^^ 

SECTION I. 
TTie Mystery of tlie Incarnation. 

The only Son of God, who from eternity had dwelt 
in the bosom of the Father, so humbled himself in time 
as to take a body and soul like ours. He, '^ being in 
the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with 
God; but debased himself, taking the form of a ser- 
vant, being made in the likeness of men, and in shape, 
found as a man/** The Father did not become man, 
neither did the Holy Ghost ; it was the Son, the second 
person of the adorable Trinity, who assumed our nature. 
The manner in which this mystery was accomplished 
can neither be conceived nor expressed. The Gospel 
informs us, that when the time decreed in the di^^ine 
counsels had arrived, an angel was deputed to the Virgin 
Mary ; that he saluted her with the title, '^ Full of 
grace ; '^ t announced to her that she should become a 
mother ^^thout ceasing to be a vhgin ) and that He who 
should be bom of her would be the Son of the Most High. 

The holy Virgin believed the word of the heavenly 
messenger, and gave her consent. At that instant the 
mystery of the Incarnation was accomplished : the Holy 
Ghost formed in her womb the body of Jesus Christ, 
and united to it a piu'e soul j and then was effected the 
union of the divine and the human nature in the person 
of the Son of God. '^ The lowliness of the iuferioiy^ 
says the great Pontiff, St. Leo, '^ was not consumed in 
the glory of the superior, nor did the assumption of the 
*PhiL, ii, 6. tLuke, i, 28. 



MYSTERY OF THE i:tTCAIll!TATIOK. 51 

inferior diminisli tlie glory of the superior." * The only 
Son of God ttius became man without ceasing to be God, 
and hence the Blessed Virgin is truly the Mother of 
God, having conceived and brought forth the Man-God. 
Mary in becoming a mother, ceased not to be a virgin, 
Jesus Christ, her only Son, having been conceived by 
the operation of the Holy Ghost. As man, he had no 
Father, — St. Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin, 
having been given her by God, in order to conceal this 
mystery under the veil of a chaste marriage ; but as God, 
he had a Father, by whom he was begotten from all 
eternity, and to whom he is equal : " Being in the form 
of God," he " thought it no robbery to be equal with 
God." t In Jesus Christ there is but one person, and 
in this one person there are two distinct natures, the 
divine and human ; — the divine nature by which he is 
God, equal to the Father 5 and the human nature, by 
which he is man like unto us, and possessing all the 
faculties proper to our nature. 

Although this mystery infinitely surpasses the capac- 
ity of the human mind, yet we believe it firmly, be- 
cause God, who is the Infallible Truth, has distinctly 
revealed it. It is by no means contrary to reason, 
though infinitely above it; and we have in ourselves an 
image, which, though faint and imperfect, may assist 
our faith. The human soul, which is of a spiritual and 
incorruptible nature, is united to a material and corrupt- 
ible body ; and the union of these substances, so very 
different in their nature, forms but one man, who is at 
the same time body and spirit ; — corruptible and incor- 
ruptible, material and iiltelligent. In the same wa}^, the 
Divinity of the Word, and the nature of man, united 
without being confounded, form but one Jesus Christ, 
true God and true man, begotten by the Father from 
all eternity, and born of a Virgin in the fulness of time; 
— almighty as God, and surrounded with weakness as 
man ; for, except sin, and the consequences inseparable 
from it, such as ignorance and concupiscence, our Lord 
was pleased to subject himself to all our miseries. lie 
** Serm., 1, tie Nnt. t Pliil.; ii; 0. 



52 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

was subject to hunger, thirst, fatigue, and all the in- 
firmities of our nature, ^dth this difference alone, that 
he was subject to these infirmities only because he willed 
it 5 we suffer them because they are the consequence of 
our condition,, to which we must submit, how contrary 
soever to our inclinations. We must not suppose that 
the divine nature was altered in the Incarnation. God, 
without ceasing to be all that He is, has deigned to 
unite himself to human nature ; He has lost nothing by 
this union ; his opprobriums and his sufferings affected 
only his humanity ; as man, He suffered — as God, He 
imparted an infinite value to his sufferings ; as man, He 
became an infant, to be the model for every age — as God- 
Man, He redeemed the human race. 

The Son of God became man to redeem us from the 
slavery of sin, and from the pains of hell, and to merit 
for us everlasting life, all right to which we had lost, as 
well by our own transgressions, as by the sin of our first 
parents. We had offended a God of infinite majesty, and 
his justice could not be satisfied, but by an atonement 
proportionate to the injury which sin had offered Him. 
Man could not, then, of himself, offer to God sufficient 
satisfaction, or merit his forgiveness. It was the Son of 
God made man, true God and true man, who alone 
could offer that satisfaction ; as a man, suffering for our 
transgressions, and as God, giving to his sufferings infinite 
value. By this admirable invention of divine wdsdoni, 
sin is punished, and the sinner is saved — " Mercy and 
justice have met each other : justice and peace have 
kissed :" * — ample reparation is made for the insult 
offered to the majesty of God by sin. 

Jesus Christ has, then, become om' Mediator — a perfect 
Mediator — one with the Father by his divinity, and 
united to us by his humanity, — who could suffer like us, 
because he possessed a nature like ours, and reconcile 
us to God, being God himself ; a Mediator, who, by his 
perfect sanctity, is infinitely agreeable to Him, before 
whom he presents himself as a victim for the reconciliation 
of sinners. A comparison will exhibit this truth in a 
* Ps.; Ixxxiv^ 11. 



MTSTERY OF THE INCAENATIOif. ' 53 

still clearer light. If a king were insulted by the lowest 
of his subjects, neither the criminal himself, nor any 
other subject of the king, could possibly offer to his 
royal majesty a satisfaction equal to the offence 5 all 
that the criminal could do, would be always much less 
than the grievousness of the injury required ; but if the 
son of a king, the heir presumptive to his crown, already 
seated with him upon his throne, moved with compassion for 
this unfortunate person, descended from that throne, di- 
vested himself of his princely ornaments, and covered with 
sackcloth and ashes, cast himself at his father's feet, 
and offered to submit to the punishment due to the 
transgressor, — we should readily conceive that a humilia- 
tion so profound, was a satisfaction proportionate to the 
majesty of the person offended; that the injury was 
fully repaired ; and that the king might, without prejudice 
to the strictest justice, extend mercy to the criminal. 
This is an image of the grace which God grants to 
sinful man, by the incarnation of his Son. How 
admirable is He in all his works ; and, above all, in 
this great work of love ! What benefit comparable to 
that of having given his only Son to save us ! What, 
then, ought to be our gratitude towards our benign and 
most generous Eedeemer, who has stripped himself of 
Ms glory, in order to clothe himself with our nature, to 
"be subject to our infirmities, and to appear and be^ in 
reality, like to us in all things, sin and ignorance 
excepted ! 



A follower of the heresiarch Eutyches, speaking to a 
child who had been carefully instructed in the Catholic 
faith, wished to make him believe that there is but one 
nature in Jesus Christ. For this purpose he took two 
pieces of u'on, which having made red hot, he joined 
together so as to form one piece : '' Thus," said he, " the 
two natures — the divine and human — being united 
together in Jesus Christ, form only one nature in his 
person." " But," replied the child, ^Mf a small ingot 
of gold be put in place of one of the pieces of iron, and 
fused with the other, would the mixture be all gold or 



54 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAJS". 

all iron ? Would not eacli piece remain what it was 
before ? Would not the one be gold and the other iron, 
although both were united together? You cannot 
deny it. See, then, two pieces, the one gold, the 
other iron, distinguished from each other, though both 
form but one piece. In like manner,'^ continued the 
child, '' the divine nature and the human are distinct 
from each other, and yet form but one person in Christ." 
Edifyijstg Lettees. 



An ecclesiastic of Constantinople, named Athanasius, 
blasphemously asserted in public, that the Blessed 
Virgin should not be called the Mother of God ; and 
iSTestorius, the patriarch, instead of putting a stop to the 
scandal, defended the preacher, and maintained that 
there were in Jesus Christ two persons, as well as two 
natures ; and, consequently, that his mother should not 
be called the Mother of God, but Mother of the 
77ian, Jesus Christ. St. Cyril of Alexandria opposed 
and refuted these errors, and they were condemned by 
St. Celestine, Pope, in a council held in Eome in 430. 
The following year a council assembled at Ephesus, for 
the condemnation of these errors, Nestorius, who was 
held in horror by all the people for his impiety, was 
condemned, and deposed from his patriarchal dignity, 
and the sentence of his excommunication pronounced by 
the Fathers in the following terms : '' The holy Council, 
assembled by the grace of God in the city of Ephesus, 
to Nestorius, the new Judas : — Know that for the 
impious doctrine thou hast preached, and for thy obstin- 
acy in maintaining it, thou art deposed from all ecclesi- 
astical functions and dignities by the holy Council, 
according to the laws and rules of the Church.'' Nes- 
torius was exiled into Africa by the em]3eror Theodosius, 
the Younger 5 his tongue shortly after became fright- 
fully ulcerated, and was devoured by worms to the very 
root. After having wandered about in different places, 
he died at length in great misery, and impenitent. — 
Merault. 



THE BIETH OF JESUS CHRIST. ^5 

Exercises. — 1. By what mystery has God fulfilled the promise 
made to Adam after his fall ? — 2. Which of the three divine Per- 
sons became man f — 3. What information does the Gospel afford 
us of the manner in which the mystery ot the Incarnation was 
accomplished f — 4. How many natures are there in Jesus Christ ? 
— 5. Can an image of the mystery of the Incarnation be found in 
man? — 6. May we suppose the divine nature altered in this mys- 
tery ? — 7. Why did the Son of God become man ? — 8. Show that 
our divine Redeemer alone could repair the injury made to God 
by sin. — 9. Explain the truth of this assertion by a comparisou. 



SECTIOISr II. 
Of the Birth of Jesus Christ 

Augustus Caesar, the Roman emperor, having ordered 
a census of all the inhabitants of his vast empire, Joseph 
and Mar}^, that they might there be enrolled, repaired 
to Bethlehem, to which city their family originally be- 
longed. Here, in the year of the world 4004, the Son 
of God was born in a stable, the poverty of St. Joseph 
and his holy spouse having excluded them from the inns. 
His birth w^as announced by angels to the poor shep- 
herds, who watched by turns over their flocks ; and as 
soon as the announcement was made, these blessed spirits 
sang, '^ Glory to God in the highest ,* and on earth 
peace to men of good will."* Eight days after, he was 
circumcised, and on the same day, Mary and Joseph, 
in obedience to the order they had received from God by 
an angel, gave him the name of Jesus, which signifies 
Savior J for he was come to save all men, and to deliver 
them from sin and hell. To the name Jesus, is added 
that of Christ, which signifies, anointed or consecrated ; 
not that he was anointed in a sensible manner, but on 
account of the hypostatic union of his human with the 
divine nature. We also call him ^^ our Lord," because he 
has a particular right over all Christians, whom he re- 
deemed with his precious blood. 

A few days after his Circumcision, Jesus Christ was 
acknowledged as God and King by the Magi^ or wise 
* Luke, ii; 14. 



56 DUTIES or A christia:s". 

men, wlio, guided by a star, came from the East to 
adore him. Being arrived at Jenisalem, the royal city, 
they inqmred, '' Where is he that is born king of the 
Jews ? For we have seen his star in the East, and are 
come to adore him/^* The doctors of the law, inter- 
rogated by Herod, king of Judea, declared that the 
Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, Herod, alarmed, 
and already meditating the death of the Infant-God, 
desired the mse men to inform him, when they should 
have found the child, that he, too, might go and adore 
him. The wise men continued their journey, found the 
infant whom they had so eagerly sought, offered him 
gold, frankincense, myrrh; but admonished by an 
angel that they should not return to Herod, they went 
back another way into their own country.t 

In obedience to the law, the blessed Virgin and St. 
Joseph, forty days after the birth of Jesus, carried him to 
the temple to present him to God, because he w^as ^' the 
first-born.'^l The holy Virgin, at the same time, com- 
plied to the letter with what the law of purification re- 
qmred on the occasion. What admirable examples of 
humility and obedience ! 

Herod, finding that the wise men had returned home- 
ward, conceived the design of murdering all the male 
children of two years old and under, in and about 
Bethlehem, imagining that the Savior of the world 
would surely be involved in the massacre; but St. 
Joseph, forewarned by an angel of all that was to happen, 
fled into Egypt with Jesus and Mary, where he remained 
until after the death of this barbarous prince. He then 
returned, and resided at Nazareth of Galilee, for which 
reason Jesus w^as afterwards, through contempt, styled 
a Nazarean. 

At the age of twelve years, Jesus accompanied his 
blessed Mother and St. Joseph to Jerusalem, in order to 
celebrate the Pasch, and remained in the temple, without 
their knowing of his absence, till the evening of the first 
day of their journey homeward, when they returned in 
search of him to Jerusalem, where they found him in the 
t Matt.; ii, 8-12. X Matt., i, 25. 



THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHEIST. 57 

temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, 
and proposing questions to them, in a manner so extra- 
ordinary, that those who heard him, were astonished at 
his wisdom and his answers.* At the age of thirty, he 
was baptized in the river Jordan by St. John the Baptist, 
the Holy Ghost descended upon him, in the form of a dove, 
and the Eternal Father declared from Heaven, that he 
was his ^^ Beloved Son.^^t He was then led by the Holy 
Spirit into the desert, where he fasted forty days and 
nights, without any nourishment. It is to honor this fast 
of Jesus Christ, that the Church has established the an- 
nual fast of Lent. He afterwards permitted himself to 
be tempted by the devil, to teach us not to be troubled at 
temptations, to instruct us in the manner of resisting them, 
and to merit for us the grace necessary for overcoming 
them. 



A good mother, as pious as she was enlightened in 
her faith, recommended to her children, not to let any day 
pass without begging the blessings of the Infant Jesus. 
''- When you will have finished your morning and night 
prayers," said she to them, ^^ imagine that the blessed Vk- 
gin appears before you, with the child Jesus in her arms ; 
bow down with respect, and say to her with fervor : 
Mary, deign to extend over me the hand of your divine 
Son, that, blessed by him, I may avoid whatever dis- 
pleases him, and do the good which he wills; that I may 
imitate him in this obedience and his other virtues, and 
render myseK worthy of possessing him with you in 
Heaven." 



Exercises. — 1. What does the Gospel say of the principal 
circumstances of the birth of our divine Lord? — 2. What 
mean these words^ Je§u8 Christ'^ — 3. Why do we call Jesus Christ 
our Lord ? — 4. Give us an account of the adoration of the Magi. 
— 5. What did the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph do forty days 
after the birth of Christ? — (3." What design did Herod conceive, 
seeing that he had been foiled by the Magi f — 7. How did Jesus 
Christ escape this cold-blooded massacre? — 8. With whatcircum- 
stanceS; in the private life of our Lord, does the Gospel acquaint us ? 

* Luke, ii, 40, 47. t Matt., iii, 17. 



58 DUTIES or A CHEISTIAX. 

SECTIOX III. ^ 

Of the Doctrine of Jesus Clirist. 

Xo sooner had Jesus Christ come forth from the 
desert than he began to preach his Gospel, or New 
Law. From among his disciples he selected twelve, 
whom he named Ajjostles, that is, persons sent, because 
he destined them for the conversion of the world. 
These were, Peter and Andrew his brother, James and 
John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James 
the son of Alpheus, Jnde his brother, Simon the 
Cananean, and Judas Iscariot. 

The law which om' divine Redeemer brought into the 
world is truly admirable ; it forms a body of doctrine so 
perfect, that we can neither add to it nor take from it. 
It teaches man all his duties to God, to his neighbor, 
and to himself; it is suitable to him as a member of 
society and as an individual, in every situation in life, 
and in every age and nation. TThen we examine it 
closely, we are forced to avow that its Author pos- 
sessed the most profound knowledge of the enthe man 
— of all his e^'ils, and of their proper remedies ; of the 
end of his creation, and of the means of its attainment. 

It is e\'ident that if men conformed to this morahty, 
they would be as good and happy as it is passible to be 
on earth. And if we represent to om'selves a truly 
Christian people, who love God as their father, and all 
men as theh brethren, who have but one heart and one 
soul, who all asphe to the same end, walk towards 
the same term — the kingdom of heaven — who never 
make reason yield to passion, the general interest to 
the individual, but who, on the contrary, place their 
happiness in that of others, share in the pains of their 
brethren, and assist in supporting them; such a people 
would, undoubtedly, be a delightful spectacle to the 
universe. Yet such would be a state composed of true 
Christians : peace, which is the sweetest fi'uit of charity, 
would reign in the midst of them ; the cry of discord 
would never be heard, because they would be strangers 
to injustice, violence, jealousies, or rivalry. Here we 



THE DOCTEIKE OF JESUS CHUIST. 59 

would see no misfortune, because sin, the only real 
misfortune, would not exist amongst them. Old age, 
infirmity, sickness, would be balanced by the assurance 
of future happiness, and death itself would be regarded 
but as a passage from temporary happiness to the 
permanent possession of that which is eternal. Yes, 
such are the fruits which the doctrine of Jesus Christ, if 
practised, would produce : '^ the whole universe would 
be peopled with friends, and the entire world would 
become a terrestrial paradise.'' 

The mysteries which religion teaches, are, indeed, 
above our comprehension ; but the motives of credibility 
which it supplies, are more than sufficient to satisfy any 
reasonable mind. What sublimity, what sanctity in this 
morality ! Fear not, says the Gospel, those who can kill 
the body, but fear Him who can cast both soul and 
body into hell. Love God with your whole heart ; 
and remember that no man can serve two masters. 
Take heed you do not your justice before men to be 
seen by them. If thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck 
it out and cast it from thee. If thy right hand scanda- 
lize thee, cut it off and cast it from thee. Every idle 
word that men shall speak, they shall render an account 
for it in the day of judgment. Be not solicitous w^hat 
you shall eat or what you shall drink, or wherewith you 
shall be clothed j behold the fowls of the air, they sow 
not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns, and 
your heavenly Father feedeth them. Consider the 
lilies of the field, how they grow; they labor not, 
neither do they spin, but I say to you, Solomon in all 
his glory was not arra3^ed as one of these. Do good to 
all, love your enemies ; forgive and you shall be for- 
given ; judge not and you shall not be judged. A 
drop of water given in my name will not be without its 
reward, Blessed are ye when men shall revile and 
persecute you ; be glad and rejoice, for your reward is 
very great in Heaven. * 

Charmed with the sublimity of this heavenly doc- 
trine, Jean Jacques Rousseau cries out with admii'ation, 
* See Matt.; v, vi, x^ and xii. 



60 DUTIES or A CHEISTIAi^. 

^^ The sanctity of the Gospel speaks to my heart. How 
trifling are the pompons writmgs of the philosophers 
when compared with it ! Can a book, so sublime, and 
yet so simple, be the work of man ? Can he whose 
history it is, be no more than man ? Is his the tone 
of an enthusiast or of an ambitious sectary ? What meek- 
ness ! what purity in his morals ! what touching grace 
in his discourses ! what elevation in his maxims ! what 
ingenuity and justness in his replies ! what an empire 
over his passions ! Where is the man — where the philo- 
sopher, who knew how to act, to sufier, and to die, 
without weakness or ostentation ? When Plato described 
his imaginary just man, covered with all the opprobrium 
of crime, and worthy of all the rewards of virtue, he 
depicted every featm^e of the character of Jesus Christ. 
The resemblance is so striking that all the holy Fathers 
have remarked it : it was impossible not to recognize it. 
What folly, what blindness, what rashness, to compare 
the son of Sophronius with the Son of Mary ! what a 
disparity between them in life and death ! Socrates is 
said to have invented morality ; but others had prac- 
tised it before he taught it ,• he described only what they 
had done, putting into the shape of lessons that of which 
they had given the example. Aristides had been just 
before Socrates described what justice was ; Leonidas 
had died for his countr}^ before Socrates taught that 
patriotism was a duty ; the Spartans had been temper- 
ate before Socrates praised sobriety, and Greece had 
abounded in virtuous men before he defined virtue. 
But where did Jesus Christ leam the pm^e and sublime 
morality of which he alone gave the lessons and the 
example ? The death of Socrates discoursing tranquilly 
with his friends, was the sweetest one could desire ; that 
of Jesus Christ, expiring in torments and opprobrium, 
cursed and railed at by the people, is the most appall- 
ing that can be imagined. Socrates receiving the poi- 
soned draught from an executioner, who shed tears in 
presenting it, wished him a blessing ; Jesus dying in 
frightful torments, prayed for his brutal executioners. 
Yes ] if the life and death of Socrates were those of a 



THE LIFE OE JESTJS CHEIST. 61 

sage, the life and death of Jesus Christ were those of a 
God. Shall we say that the Gospel history is but a 
fiction, the work of human invention ? Ah ! it is not 
thus that men invent. The facts relating to Socrates, 
of which no one doubts, are far less authentic than those 
concerning Jesus Christ. Indeed it would be more in- 
credible that a number of men should agree to fabricate 
this book, than that one alone should be the subject of 
it. Never did the Jewish writers find its tone or its 
morality ; and the Gospel has characteristics of truth so 
grand, so striking, so perfectly inimitable, that the in- 
ventor of them should be more astonishing than the 
heroes." 



Diderot, as he one day read the Gospel for his daugh- 
ter, was surprised in the act by one of his friends, who 
testified his astonishment thereat. '' After all," said 
this philosopher, in self-defence, '^ what can I teach her 
that is better for her to learn ? " And the famous 
Byron, although an enemy to true piety, wished that 
his daughter should be educated in the principles of 
faith. How many others would have admired the sub- 
limity of tbe Gospel, and believed and adored its mys- 
teries, had it not commanded the avoidance of all evil 
and the practice of every virtue ! 



Exercises. — 1, What did Jesus Christ on coming forth from the 
desert ? — 2. What is the meaning of the world apostle ? — 3. Name 
the twelve Apostles ? — 4. What are the special features of the 
perfection of Christ's doctrine ? — 5. What would be the result if 
all men were faithful observers of the law of Christ ? — 6. Enu- 
merate some of the evangelical precepts. 



SECTION IV. 

Of the life of Jesus Christ — His Miracles. 

Our Lord proved the divinity of his mission, not 
only by the exact fulfilment of the prophecies which, 
for four thousand years, had announced his coming, but 
also by a vast number of miracles which he performed 
in his own name. If a prophecy is a proof of divine 



62 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

intervention J so is a miracle, wlien incontestable. If, 
for example, we see a man command nature, walk upon 
the w^aters, give sight to the blind, raise the dead to 
life, — we cannot doubt that such a man has been sent 
by God. We feel that such works are above human 
powder, and that it is God alone who can thus interrupt 
the ordinary course of nature. It is thus our Lord 
proved his mission. He performed a great number of 
miracles, as the Gospel testifies ; he raised the dead, ap- 
peased the storm, by commanding the wind and the sea, 
twice multiplied bread in the desert to feed the multi- 
tudes who had foUow^ed him, changed water into wine, 
gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, motion to 
the paralytic; he healed instantly the most inveterate 
diseases, frequently by a single word, and sometimes 
without even seeing the sick or approaching them. 

Remark, that all the miracles of our Lord were useful 
to men; they w^ere manifestations of his goodness as well 
as effects of his power ; and w^ere performed without 
ostentation. In vain did the Pharisees demand a sign 
from heaven, in vain did Herod desire to witness some 
prodigy ; our Lord never did anything to gratify curios- 
ity, but he never refused to heal the sick, who had 
recourse to him. The reality of his miracles is unques- 
tionable ; they were not wrought in secret, but in the 
temjDle, in places of public resort, in the streets and in 
the presence of an entire people. Lazarus was raised 
to life at Bethania, a short distance from Jerusalem, 
before a multitude of witnesses ; the cm^e of the man 
w^ho had been a paralytic for thirty-eight years, and 
that of the man born blind, were effected in the midst of 
Jerusalem. This last mhacle excited much attention ; 
the chiefs of the synagogue examined the man and his 
parents, but their inteiTogations served but to confirm 
the miracle, and to extend its publicity. 

If our Lord performed some of his miracles in the 
desert, it was in the sight of thousands of persons ; the 
greater number took place in the presence of the Phari- 
sees and doctors of the law^, his most declared enemies, 
and those most willing to deny his power ; but, con- 



THE LIFE OE JESTJS CHKIST. 63 

founded by the evidence of those mkacleSj instead of 
daring to deny them^ they were obliged formally to 
acknowledge the wonders he performed. '' What do 
we/^ said they, " for this man doth many miracles ? If 
we let him alone so, all will believe in him." * We 
must then conclude, that the miracles of Jesus Christ 
were sufficiently numerous and evident to prove him the 
Messiah, so long promised to mankind. None of the 
ancient prophets performed such wonders. The people, 
filled with admiration, acknowledged him as the 
Messiah : ^^ They glorified God, saying, ^ A great 
prophet is risen up amongst us, and God hath visited 
his people.' '^ t 

Our Lord not only performed miracles himself, but 
conferred on his disciples the power of doing so. Send- 
ing them to preach, he thus addressed them : ^^ Heal 
the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out 
devils : freely give.'' f And the apostles did perform 
all these wonders in the course of their mission. By 
them they proved that they spoke in the name of the 
Author of nature ; and extraordinary was the efiect 
which they produced, for, by means of them, the whole 
world was converted to Christianity. This is a con- 
tinually subsisting proof of the miracles of the Apostles. 
Religion could not have been established on a firmer 
basis. Its proofs, which consist in prophecies and 
miracles, are adapted to the capacities of the most 
simple, and are, at the same time, capable of convinc- 
ing the most . enlightened. God raised up a crowd of 
inspired men, who predicted, with the utmost exactness, 
ev^snts which it was. impossible to foresee by any 
natural means, and which were to take place in many 
ages after. To this first proof he joined that of the 
most evident miracles, performed in the sight of all 
Judea, multiplied in numberless ways, and repeated 
througliout all parts of the world. What stronger 
evidence can be required to produce a full conviction 
of the trath of our religion, and an unhesitating sub- 
mission to all that it inculcates ? 

* John, xi, 47, 48. t Luke, vii, 16. X Matt., x, 8. 



64 DUTIES OF A CHKISTIAN. 

A young man being in company which declaimed 
against miracles, felt it his daty to defend his faith on that 
subject. At first he cited unsuspected witnesses — Celsus, 
Julian, and Porphyry — who all admitted that Jesus 
Christ had astonished the world by his miracles. He 
next adduced the admissions of Rousseau and Voltaire; 
but surprised to find his hearers more incredulous than 
Rousseau, and more obstinate in the rejection of miracles 
than the impious apostate himself, he said, ^^ It appears 
that you are absolutely decided not to yield to the 
authority of yom' masters. You say it is difficult — nay, 
impossible, to believe our mysteries, or to practise our 
morality.'^ ^^ Yes/^ they cried, ^^ impossible ! ^' ^^But," 
replied he, ^^ if our mysteries be incredible, how is it 
that they have been credited throughout the world; 
or that the Gospel has had believers in every con- 
dition of life, from the cottage to the palace, and at a 
time when baptism was a prelude to martyrdom?" 
These words covered them with confusion, and they 
knew not what to reply. — Merault. 

Exercises. — 1. Was it only by the exact fulfilment of the 
prophecies that our Lord proved the divinity of his mission ? — 2. 
Name the principal miracles he wrought. — 3. Why is the reality 
of the miracles of Jesus Christ unquestionable ? — 4. \Vhat did 
the Jewish people say at the sight of the numerous miracles of 
our div^ine Lord ? — 5. Did Jesus Christ confer on his Apostles 
the power of working miracles ? 



SECTION V. 

Of tlie Virtues of our Lord, 

Jesus Christ practised in the highest perfection the 
lessons of vui:ue which he inculcated and the law which 
he taught, so that his whole life was a faithful mirror 
of his doctrine. The more we meditate on his actions, 
the more shall we admire the eminent sanctity displayed 
in his conduct. He passed through the state of childhood 
to give an example of virtue suitable to that period of 
life. His obedience to the Blessed Virgin and St. 



THE VIRTUES OF OUR LORD. 65 

Josepli contains all the virtues of a child ; he is docile 
and submissive ; he hears, he follows in everything, the 
advice of those who have authority over him.* He 
continues to exercise these tranquil and obscure virtues 
till the age of thirty, when he commenced his public 
Mission, at which period, the most sublime virtues 
began to shine forth in his conduct. His meekness 
was admirable. ^^ The bruised reed he shall not 
break, and smoking flax he shall not quench.'^ t He 
never rejected any one; he received the greatest 
sinners with kindness ; he did not hesitate to eat with 
them, and when reproached for his condescension, his 
only reply was that he came to seek not the just but 
sinners ; that they who are well need not the physician, 
but they who are sick. He represents himself as a 
good father, who runs to meet his returning child, casts 
himself on his neck, bathes him with his tears, and 
delivers himself to the transports of joy inspired by his 
return. He embraces little children with affection and 
tenderness, he imposes hands upon them and blesses 
them, saying to his disciples, " Suffer the little children 
to come to me, and forbid them not ; for of such is the 
kingdom of God." | In everything he displays a 
goodness which inspires confidence in all who approach 
him ; but this did not prevent him from reprehending, 
in strong terms, hardened sinners, and principally the 
Pharisees, whom he openly reproached with their pride 
and hypocrisy. 

Our Lord bore with invincible patience all the evils 
which befell him ; and if we follow him from the stable 
in which he was born to the cross on which he died, 
we shall everywhere find him in sorrows, labor, and 
sufferings, enduring hunger, thirst, fatigue, and all the 
inconveniences of the most rigorous poverty ; *^possessing 
nothing — not even a place ^^ where to lay his head ;'^ § 
subsisting on what was voluntarily bestowed on him 
by those to whom he announced the word of God ; 
supporting meekly the pressure of the crowds that 

* Luke; ii, 51, 52. t Isa., xlii, 3. 

t Mark, x, 14. J Matt., viii, 20. 



66 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAISr. 

followed him, and the nnportunities of the infirm b^ 
whom he was continually suiTounded, insulted, re\dled, 
outraged ; — yet no desire of revenge, no word of com- 
plaint escaped his blessed lips. But it was in the 
different circumstances of his passion that he particularly 
exercised this virtue. In the midst of the most unheard- 
of tortures, unjustly inflicted, he uttered neither menace 
nor reproach • and, hanging on the cross, he prayed for 
his executioners, saying, ^^ Father, forgive them, for 
they know not what they do.'^ * 

His whole life was a continual exercise of the most 
profound humility : ^^ Learn of me/^ said he, '^ because 
I am meek and humble of heart.'^ t He was born of a 
poor mother, passed thhi:y years in obscurity, and 
w^hen he did manifest himself to the world, he care- 
fully avoided all pomp and splendor. He sought not 
in anything his own glory ; he even forbade the publica- 
tion of his miracles. His detachment from riches was 
so complete, that he may be said to have espoused 
poverty; his contempt of honors, and his aversion to 
pleasure, were so great, that he courted humiliations, 
and cheerfully embraced sufferings and the pross. 
With good reason, then, did he reproach the Jews with 
their disbelief of the truths which he announced to 
them ; for sanctity, so perfect as his, was incontrovertible 
evidence that he had been sent by God. 



A holy man, when consulted on the great affair of 
salvation, was accustomed to say: '' In all your actions, 
have the example of om' Savior before your eyes ; thus 
you shall acquire a sublime degree of perfection, and 
all the obstacles which oppose your progress shall 
speedily vanish. On awaking, consider with what 
fervor lu# holy humanity rendered homage to his 
heavenly Father, and the dispositions T\ith which he 
devoted himself to his daily labors ,* and learn thence 
how you should pray, and sanctify the duties of your 
calling. Keflect how he conversed with his neighbor — 
on his frugality and modesty at meals — and how many 
* Luke, xxiii, 34. f Matt., xi, 29. 



THE PASSIO:Nr OF JESUS CHRIST. 67 

and great were the privations to whicli lie condemned 
himself out of Icve for us. If you are poor, remember 
that your Eedeemer had ^ not where to lay his head 5 ' * 
if your enemies persecute you, think how the Pharisees 
hated him ; if your friends forsake you, consider that he 
was sold by Judas, denied by St. Peter, and abandoned 
by all his disciples. In a word, however you shall be 
circumstanced, never lose sight of this divine Model, 
and your life will be truly angelical.'^ 



Exercises. — 1. What virtues did our divine Lord practise 
during his private life? — 2. What sublime virtues shone forth 
during his public life ? — 3. What admirable lessons of patience 
and meekness did he give to the world? — 4. How did he teach 
humility? — 5. What practical examples did he give us during 
his passion ? 



CHAPTER V. 

The Mystery of the Redemption, 

AETICLE 4. — ^^SIJEEERED UNDEPv PONTIUS PILATE, 
VTAS CRirCIEIED, DIED Ai^D WAS BUEIED.'' 

SECTION L 

Of tJte Passion of Jesus Christ. 

The divine sanctity wbicli manifested itself in our 
Redeemer, the purity of his doctrine, and the splendor 
of his miracles, instead of conciliating the Pharisees and 
chiefs of the Jews, enkindled their envy, and inspired 
them with the cruel design of putting him to death. 

The moment in which he was to abandon himself to 
their fury, and effect our salvation, being near at hand, 
he sent two of his disciples to prepare the Pasch, and 
in the evening repaired with his disciples to the 
appointed place. Having eaten the paschal lamb 
according to the law, he arose from table, girded him- 
self with a towel, and washed the feet of his disciples. 
He then returned to the table, and having given thanks, 
took bread and blessed it, and changed it into his body. 
After this he took the cup, and did in like manner, 
* Matt., viii, 20. 



68 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

changing tlie wine wliicli it contained, into his blood. 
When our Lord had thus instituted the sacrament of 
the Eucharist, he commanded his apostles to do what 
he had done — thus to perpetuate, to the end of time, the 
remembrance of his death. At the conclusion of this 
memorable action, he made a long discourse to the 
apostles, in which he testified the greatness of his love 
for them, warned them of their approaching flight, 
and promised to manifest himself to them after his 
resurrection. 

Then leaving the supper-room, he repaired to the 
Garden of Olives, where being arrived, he removed to 
a short distance from his apostles in order to pray. 
Contemplating the enormity of sin, the greatness of the 
sufierings he w^as to endure, and the abuse men would 
mak e of all he was about to do for them, he fell into a 
mortal agony, which caused him to sweat l^lood. Ho 
besought his heavenly Father, that the bitter chalice, 
of w^hich he was soon to drink to the very dregs, might 
pass from him, saying, '^ Father if Thou wilt, remove 
this chalice from me. But yet, not my will, but thine 
be done.'^* Then an angel appeared, and comforted 
hun. 

As soon as Jesus had finished his prayer, Judas 
entered the garden, at the head of an armed multitude. 
He approached Jesus and kissed him ; for this was the 
sign by which he had agreed to point him out. Jesus 
received him meekly, called him by the name of friend, 
and contented himself with reminding him of the aw^ful 
crime he was going to perpetrate. He then asked 
those who accompanied Judas, whom they sought, and 
on their replying, ^^ Jesus of Nazareth," he said to them, 
'' I am he." t At these words, they fell prostrate on 
the ground. This fall, as wonderful as it was unexpected, 
ought to have made them enter into themselves, and 
acknowledge the divine power of him whom they had 
come to seize ; but their hearts were hardened, and as 
soon as he had permitted them to rise, they came forward, 
seized his sacred person, and dragged him, bound with 
* Luke, xxii, 42. f John, xviii, 5. 



THE PASSIOlSr OF JESUS CHRIST. 69 

cords, into the' city of Jerusalem. In tlie meantime, 
all liis disciples abandoned him and fled. 

The Jews first led him to the house of Annas, the 
father-in-law of Oaiphas, who was High Priest that 
year. Caiphas questioned him concerning his disciples 
and his doctrine, and Jesus replied, "' I have spoken 

openly to the world . and in private I have spoken 

nothing. Ask them who have heard what I have 
spoken to them.^^* At these w^ords, one of the attendants 
gave Jesus a blow, which he received with unexampled 
patience. The chiefs of the Jew^s, knowing well that 
they could not convict him of any crime, sought false 
witnesses, to have some pretext for condemning him 
to death • but this design not succeeding, on account of 
the contradictions in their evidence, the High Priest 
adjured Jesus to say if he were the Christ, the Son of 
God. Jesus replied, ^^ Thou hast said it. Nevertheless, 
I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man 
sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and 
coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the High 
Priest rent his garments, saying : He hath blasphemed ; 
what further need have we of witnesses ? Behold, now 
you have heard the blasphemy — What think you ? 
But they, answering, said: He is guilty of death ;'^ a 
sentence which was instantly confirmed by the princes 
of the priests, and the Pharisees who were present. 
Then, those who were near Jesus, spat on his face, 
and having bandaged his eyes, struck him on the face, 
saying, '' Prophesy unto us, Christ, w^ho is he that 
struck thee;"t and many other blasphemies they 
uttered against him. But the denial of St. Peter affected 
Jesus more sensibly than all those outrages. This 
disciple having followed his divine Master at a distance, 
entered the house of the High Priest, where, being 
charged by a servant-maid as one of Chrises disciples, 
he instantly denied having ever known him. The 
charge being reiterated, the apostle repeated his denial. 
A servant affirmed that ho had seen him in the garden ; 
and Peter, seized with fear, swore that the assertion 
* John, xviii, 20, 21. t Mntt., xxv, 65, m. 



70 DUTIES OF A CHPvISTIA:N'. 

was untrue. Thus did he, three times, deny his Master ; 
but Jesus, by looking upon him, brought to his remem- 
brance the warning he had given him, that he would 
thrice deny him ; and Peter, touched with repentance, 
went out and wept bitterly. Jesus remained during the 
night in the hands of his cruel enemies, from whom he 
received unheard-of injuries. 

Morning being come, the princes of the priests, and 
the ancients of the people, took counsel against Jesus, 
that they might put him to death. They led him to 
the Eoman governor, Pontius Pilate, declaring that he 
was a man who perverted the nation, refused to pay 
tribute to Caesar, and styled himself king. Pilate 
interrogated Jesus, but found no crime in him. He 
therefore told the Jews to take and judge him according 
to their law ; but they replied it was not lawful for 
them to put any one to death, and, redoubling their 
clamors, declared that Jesus, by his doctrine, had raised 
a sedition amongst the people, from Galilee even to 
Jerusalem. Pilate, hearing that Jesus was a Galilean, 
and, on this account, subject to Herod, who governed 
that country, was well pleased to rid himself of the 
affair, and sent him to this prince, who was then in 
Jerusalem. Herod questioned Jesus on the accusations 
against him, but not being able to induce him to give 
any reply, he treated him as a fool, and having, in mock- 
ery, clothed him with a white garment, sent him back to 
Pilate. The governor, who possessed great- natural 
probity, seeing that it was through envy Jesus had 
been delivered to him, was desirous of setting him at 
liberty ; but being unwilling to displease the Jews by 
releasing a man charged with refusing tribute to Csesar, 
he endeavored to assuage their fury. He called to 
him the accusers of our Lord, and told them that neither 
he himself nor Herod had found him guilty of any 
crime , but, to gratify them, he would order him to be 
scourged, and then dismiss him. The Jews being yet 
dissatisfied, Pilate sought by other means to release 
our Lord. It was customary at the solemn feast of 
the Pasch, to deliver a criminal at the request of the 



THE PASSIOI^ OF JESUS CHRIST. 71 

Jews ; and a notorious robber and murderer, named 
Barabbas, happened to be in prison. Pilate, therefore, 
proposed Jesus and Barabbas to the people, and asked 
which of the two they would have released — not sup- 
posing it possible they would demand the liberation of 
a thief and a murderer, that the meek Jesus, in whom 
no crime could be found, might be put to death. But 
the princes of the priests persuaded the people to demand 
Barabbas ,* whereupon they all cried out, '' Away with 
this man, and release unto us Barabbas.'^* 

Pilate finding all his expedients unavailing, resolved 
on having Jesus cruelly scourged, hoping that the sight 
of his body, covered with wounds and blood, might 
move the people to compassion. He then abandoned 
him to the fury of the soldiery, who, having torn him 
with whips, clothed him with a purple garment, put a 
crown of thorns on his head, and a reed in his hand ; 
then kneeling before him, they saluted him in mockery, 
saying, " Hail, king of the Jews." t They then spat 
on his face, and taking the reed out of his hand, struck 
him with it on the head. 

Pilate seeing Jesus in this piteous condition, led him 
forth from the pretorium, and having seated himself on 
his tribunal, he said to the Jews, "• Behold the man ; " 
adding, that though he had thus punished him, he found 
no crime in him. But the princes of the priests, and 
theh officers, on seeing Jesus, cried out, '' Crucify him ! 
crucify him ! " Pilate then said, ^^ Take him you, and 
crucify him : for I find no cause in him." They replied, 
^^ We have a law ; and according to the law he ought 
to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When 
Pilate, therefore, had heard this saying, he feared the 
more," and sought some other expedient to save Jesus ; 
but the Jews, unwilling to suffer the least delay, cried 
again, ^' If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's 
friend." f Intimidated by these words, the wretched 
judge caused water to be brought, and washing his 
hands, said, ^^ I am innocent of the blood of this just 
man." Th^ Jews, to remove all apprehensions from 
"" Luke, xxiii, 18. t Matt., xxvii, 29. |. John, xix, 5-8, 12. 



72 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

Ms mind, exc] aimed, '^ His blood be upon us, and upon 
our children ! '^ * Jesus was then abandoned to the 
fary of his implacable enemies, who, having stripped 
him of the pm-ple cloak, clothed him with his own gar- 
ments, placed a heavy cross on his mangled shoulders, 
and, in this condition, led him out of the city to be 
crucified. Exhausted by fatigue and suffering, our 
Blessed Savior fell several times under this enormous 
burden ; but at length, a man named Simon, who was 
coming out of the country, was forced by the soldiers to 
carry the cross. We are ignorant of the motive of this 
conduct ; but it is probable, it was through fear lest our 
Lord might die on the way, and that his crucifixion 
might thereby be prevented, rather than through any 
feeling of compassion, that they thus acted. 

Being arrived at Mount Calvary, they nailed his sa- 
cred hands and feet to the cross, and placed over his 
head this inscription : ^^ Jesus of Nazareth, the King of 
the Jews."t Wliilst Jesus hung in agony on the 
cross, he was assailed with blasphemies. Those who 
passed by shook their heads, saying : " Thou that 
destroyest the temple of God, and in three days dost 
rebuild it, save thy own self : if thou be the Son of God, 
come down from the cross." The princes of the priests, 
the scribes, and ancients, also mocked him, saying, 
" He saved others ,• himself he cannot save." } The 
two thieves who were crucified with him, the one on his 
right hand, the other on his left, made him the same 
reproaches : one of them, however, was converted, and 
begged of Jesus to remember him when he should come 
into his kingdom: — ^^Lord, remember me when thou 
shalt come into thy kingdom." Jesus mercifully re- 
plied, ^^This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise." § 
He prayed to his Father to forgive his executioners : 
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they 
do j " 1 1 then addressing himself to his holy Mother, whom 
he saw standing at the foot of the cross, he commended 
her to the care of St. John : " Woman, behold thy son j '' 

*Matt., xxTiL 24, 25. tJohn, xix, 19. tMatt., xxvii, 39, 40; 42. 
§ Luke, xxiii; 42, 43. || Luke, xxiii, 34. 



DEATH AND BURIAL OF JESUS CHPvIST. 73 

and to tlie disciple,/^ Behold thy mother.'' He afterwards 
said, " I thirst ; '' * upon which he was presented with 
vinegar to drink. Thus were fulfilled the prophecies 
which had foretold that he would be so treated for love 
of us, and that by his bruises we should be healed. 

A young lady, desirous of entering the religious 
state, visited the superioress of a convent, and informed 
her of her intention. The superioress, wishing to put 
the young lady's constancy to a trial, remarked to her, 
that theirs was rather a strict rule, and such as she, pro- 
bably, might not wish to embrace. She then con- 
ducted her to the chapel, and told her of the many 
hours which the sisters spent in prayer, not only during 
the day, but even for a considerable portion of the night. 
She next showed her the dormitory, with the hard and 
inconvenient beds on which they took their short 
repose; and then led her to the other parts of the house 
in which nature had most to suffer, — to the refectory, 
where they took their coarse and homely meals ; to the 
chapter-room, in w^hich the slightest fault was visited 
with severe penance, &c. ; — and then asked her, would 
she, under such circumstances, persevere in her resolu- 
tion. ^^ Madam," replied the young lady, ^^I see clearly 
that nature shall here find much to suffer. One thing, 
however, consoles me; I perceive that every apart- 
ment is furnished with a crucifix, and, with such 
a spectacle before my eyes, can any austerity be 
insupportable 1 " 



Exercises. — What enkindled the envy of the Pharisees and 
the chiefs of the Jews ? — 2. Relate the history of the institution 
of the Blessed Eucharist. — 3. Mention the principal instances of 
the agony of our Lord in the Garden of Olives. — 4. Who 
delivered Jesus to the chief priests? — 5. Relate how he was 
delivered. — 6. Where did the Jews first lead him ? — 7. How was 
he was treated there? — 8. What did the Jews do to convict hhn? 
— 9. What affected Jesus more sensibly than all those outrages? 
Relate the circumstances. — 10. Why was Jesus Christ led before 
Pilate ?— 11. How was he treated by Herod ?— 12. What did 
Pilate^ to effect the release of Jesus ? — 13. What was Pilate's 

* John; xix, 26-28. 
4 



DUTIES OP A CHKISTIAX. 



resolve ou fincliDg all his expedients unavailing ? — 14. Describe 
the scoui'ging. — 15. ^Miat treatment did Jesus receive from the 
populace, after PDate had abandoned him to their fury? — 
16. Give us a description of our Lord's death. 



SECTION II. 
Ofilie Death and Burial of Jesus Christ 

When our Lord had hung duiing three hours in ex- 
cruciating agony on the cross. He cried out in a loud 
voice, ^^ Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit/'* 
and bowing do^n his head, he expired. The most 
stupendous prodigies bore e^'idence of his divinity. 
The earth trembled j the rocks were rent asunder ; the 
sepulchres were opened j the dead arose , the veil of 
the temple was rent from top to bottom ; the sun was 
totally eclipsed, though at full noon, so that St. Denis, 
the Areopagite, had reason to say, that either the God 
of natme was expiring, or that the end of the world 
was at hand. Yet these prodigies did not effect the 
conversion of the Jevrs. Some, indeed, after the ex- 
ample of the Eoman centm'ion, struck their breast, and 
said, " Indeed this man was truly the Son of God :" * 
the rest remained as obstinate as ever. Not wishing 
that the bodies should remain on the cross during the 
Sabbath, the Jews besought Pilate that the legs of the 
sufferers might be broken and then bodies taken down. 
The governor, accordingly, sent soldiers, who broke 
the legs of the two criminals ; but seeing Jesus already 
dead, they pierced his side with a lance. 

Thus was fulfilled what the prophet had predicted : 
^^ You shall not break one of his bones ; '^ and, " They 
shall look on him whom they pierced." t Joseph of 
Arimathea, deshous of intening the body of Jesus, 
begged it of Pilate, and, assisted by Xicodemus, took it 
down from the cross, embalmed it with precious oint- 
ments, laid it in a new sepulchre which had been cut 
into the rock, and closed up the entrance with a large 
* Mark, XV, 39. t John. xLx, 36. 37. 



RESURKECTIOIS' OF JESUS CHRIST. 75 

stone J in the presence of the holy women by whom 
they were accompanied. 

By these words/ ^ Jesus Christ died,"* we are to under- 
stand that his soul separated from his body ; but we 
must remark, that the Divinity did not separate itself 
from either: it remained constantly united to both. 
Our blessed Lord, by submitting to death, sanctified our 
death, and merited for us the grace of rendering this 
punishment of sin, a voluntary oblation, and one most 
agreeable to God. He submitted to the humiliation of 
burial, to take away from this state what is most terrible 
to nature, and to fill us with the consoling hope of our 
future resurrection. The sight of our Redeemer en- 
closed in a tomb, from which he afterwards arose glorious 
and immortal, ought to assure us of the accomplishment, 
in our regard, of these words of St. Paul : ^'It is sown 
in corruption, it shall rise in incorruption. It is sown 
in dishonor, it shall rise in glory. It is sown in weak- 
ness, it shall rise in power. It is sown a natural body, 
it shall rise a spiritual body.'' t 

It was remarked of St. Elzear, Count of Arian, in 
Provence, France, that he was never dejected, never 
moved by the most trying events. Whatever was said 
or done, he was still the same. His pious countess 
once asked him, how it could possibly happen. ^^ How 
can I," said he, ^^ be displeased with any one, or uttei 
complaints, when I think of the ignominies which my 
Savior has endured for me ? What frightful torments 
has he not suffered for my salvation ! The thought 
alone of these sufferings, and of his wonderful charity 
in praying for those who crucified him, covers me with 
confusion, when I reflect how little I have yet been 
able to suffer for him.'' — SuRius. 



Exercises. — 1. What stupendous prodigies took place at the 
death of Jesus Christ ? — 2. How was he buried? — 3. What are 
we to understand bjthe expression, Jesus Christ died'] — 4. Why 
did our blessed Lord submit to the humiliation of death and 

* John, xix, 30. 1 1 Cor., xv, 42-44. 



76 DUTIES OE A CHRISTIAN. 

burial ? — 5. With what hope should the death and glorious resur- 
rection of Jesus Christ inspire us ? 



CHAPTEE VI. 

ARTICLE 5. — "he DESCEI^DED INTO HELL, THE 
THIED DAT HE AROSE AGAII^ EROM THE DEAD." 

SECTION I. 

Chrisfs Descent into Limbo, 

Jesus Christ being dead, his soul descended into 
limbo, a place of rest, in which the patriarchs and saints 
of the Old Law were confined, expecting the coming of 
their Deliverer. These holy souls had loved and glori- 
fied God, and had lived in expectation of the Messiah ; 
but they were not yet admitted into heaven, the gates 
of which had been closed by the sin of our first parents, 
and were to be opened only by the death of the pro- 
mised Redeemer. At the presence of the holy soul of 
Jesus Christ, united to his divinity, these just souls 
began to enjoy the happiness they had so long and 
so ardently desired, but they were not admitted into 
heaven until the day of the ascension ; because it was 
fitting that He, who, by his death, had opened its gates, 
should be the first to enter. On this day, then, they 
entered with him to grace his triumph, and to enjoy for 
ever the fruit of their labors. 



Whenever you prepare yourself for communion, said 
a holy person to his disciples, endeavor to enter into the 
dispositions of the holy souls who, for so many ages, 
expected, in limbo, the coming of the Messiah. Who 
can express the joy which they felt when they saw their 
most merciful and divine Liberator ? With what trans- 
ports must they not have prostrated themselves before 
him, to render him their homages, and to thank him for 
the satisfaction He had offered for them, and the favor 
he had bestowed, in thus communicating himself to 



RESUPKECTIOX OF JESUS CHKtST. 77 

tbem ! They were occupied solely with him^ deeming 
nothing else worthy of their attention. Renounce, in 
the same manner, every other affection, and attach 
yourselves to him alone, for time and eternity. 

Exercises — 1. What means the word limho^. — 2. In what 
state were the souls who were there detained ? — 3. When did 
they ascend into Heaven ? 



SECTION II. 

Ofihe Besurrection of Jesus Christ 

On the morning of the Sabbath (Saturday), the Jews 
went to Pilate, and reported to him what our Lord had 
said concerning his resurrection. They prayed him to 
place a guard at the sepulchre, lest the disciples might 
take away the body of their Master, and then report 
that he was arisen from the dead. Pilate gave them 
the permission to secure the sepulchre : " You have a 
guard," said he 5 " go, guard it as you know." ^ The 
princes of the priests, having visited the body of Jesus 
Christ, sealed the stone which closed the entrance of the 
sepulchre, and placed their guards around it. Thus, by 
the wise dispensations of Providence, were the death 
and resurrection of Jesus Christ rendered more certain 
and authentic, by the very precautions which his enemies 
had taken to prevent all deception. If the body of our 
Lord had not been visited in the tomb, more than twenty- 
four hours after it had been laid therein, the Jews might 
say that He did not die ; and if they had not placed 
about it their own guards, they might accuse the apostles 
of having bribed the Roman soldiers, to permit them to 
take away his body. 

On the first day of the week (Sunday), our Lord, 
having reunited his soul to his body, arose glorious and 
immortal from the tomb; an angel descended from 
heaven, rolled back the stone which closed the entrance 
of the sepulchre, and sat upon it. The guards were 
terrified, '^ and became as dead men f but recovering 

* Matt., xxvii, 65. 



78 DUTIES OF A CHKISTIAN. 

themselves, they ran " into the city, and told the chief 
priests all things that had been done. And they being 
assembled together with the ancients, taking counsel, 
gave a great sum of money to the soldiers, saying ; Say 
you, his disciples came by night, and stole him away 
when we were asleep. And if the governor shall hear 
of this, we will persuade him, and secure you.''* 

Mary Magdalene, not aware of what had passed, or 
that the sepulchre had been guarded, left Jerusalem at 
an early hour, accompanied by the other holy w^omen, 
to embalm the body of their Master. When they 
arrived at the sepulchre, they found it open, and Mary 
Magdalene returned to acquaint the apostles with the 
circumstance. St. Peter and St. John instantly ran to 
the monument, and finding only the linen cloths in 
which the body had been wrapped, departed astonished, 
but not yet belie^dng that our Lord was risen. 

Mary Magdalene remained alone at the sepulchre : 
an angel appeared to her, and told her that our Lord 
had risen ,• and not long after, our Lord manifested him- 
self to her. '^ Go,'' said he, " to my brethi^en, and say 
to them : I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to 
my God and your God." f Whilst she went, he 
appeared to the holy women who remained behind ; 
and on the same day, he showed himseK to two of the 
disciples, on their way to Emmaus, who thereupon hast- 
ened back to the apostles, whom they found discom'sing 
on the resurrection, and declaring that our Lord had 
appeared to Simon. ^^ Now, whilst they were speaking 
these things, Jesus stood in the midst of them, and saith 
to them : Peace be to you j it is I ; fear not." f Our 
Lord spoke to them for a long time, reproached them 
with their incredulity in not believing these who had 
assured them of his resurrection. St. Thomas had been 
absent on this occasion, and refused to believe in the 
apparition. " And after eight days again his disciples 
were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, 
the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said : 

* Matt.; xxviii; 4, 11-14. t John, xx, 17. 

X Luke; xxiv; 36. 



EESURRECTIOi^" OF JESUS CHRIST. 79 

Peace' be to jouJ^ Then addressing Thomas, he bade 
him put his hand into his side, and his fingers into the 
wounds of his hands. Thomas, answering, said, with 
astonishment and humility, ^' My Lord and my God ! 
Jesus saith to him : Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, 
thou hast believed : blessed are they that have not seen 
and have believed.^'* 

During the forty days which our blessed Lord re- 
mained on earth, he repeatedly appeared to the apostles, 
and to the disciples assembled in great numbers. He 
conversed with them, ate with them, recalled to their 
remembrance what he had taught them before his death, 
instructed them concerning the establishment of his 
Church, performing miracles in their presence — and 
thus convincing them that he was truly risen from the 
dead. 



The prophet Jonas is the most striking figure of our 
Lord in this mystery. He had been commanded by 
God to preach penance to the Ninevites ; but fearing that 
this wicked people might put him to death, he embarked 
for Tharsis. God, displeased with his disobedience, 
raised a furious tempest. The terrified sailors, con- 
sidering it supernatural, concluded that there was some 
criminal on board, on which account they were in danger 
of shipwreck. To discover him, they cast lots, and the 
lot fell on Jonas. He acknowledged frankly that he 
was the guilty person^ and begged the sailors to throw 
him into the sea, lest they should all perish through his 
disobedience. They consented, though reluctantly; 
and, no sooner had they cast him overboard than the 
tempest ceased. But God, who was resolved to save 
the prophet, and in his person to give a figure of the 
resurrection, caused a large whale to swallow him alive, 
and at the end of three days, to cast him uninjured 
upon the sea shore. Then the prophet, instructed by 
his experience, accompb'shed his mission, and preached 
conversion to Nineve.^t Our Lord assures us that 
Jonas, in the whale's belly, was a figure of himself, 
* John, XX, 26; 28, 29. t See Jonas. 



80 DUTIES OF A CHUISTIAJT. 

wlio was to arise on the third day. David also announces 
this mystery, when, in the name of the Messiah, he says, 
" Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell 5 nor wilt thou 
give thy holy one to see corruption." * 



Exercises. — 1. What precautions did the Jews take to pre- 
vent the disciples from carrying away the body of Jesus Christ ? 
— 2. How did these very precautions render the resurrection of 
our divine Lord more authentic ? — 3. When and how did our 
Lord arise from the tomb ? — 4. Wliat incidents took place when 
Magdalene and the other holy women went to the sepulchre to 
embalm the body of their Master ? — 5. Enumerate some of the 
apparitions of our divine Lord on the day of his resurrection. 



CHAPTER VII. 

AETiCLE 6. — "he asce:n^ded ik^to heayek^ sttteth 

AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER 
ALMIGHTY.'^ 

Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus Christ 
assembled his disciples on Mount Olivet, and having 
raised his hands and blessed them, he ascended, in their 
presence, into Heaven. They continued to look after 
him, until a cloud intercepted their view^ then two 
angels appeared to them, and told them that he would, 
one day, descend from heaven, in the same way that they 
had seen him ascend. In saying that Jesus Christ sits 
at the right hand of God, his Father, we borrow from 
human things a sensible image, in order to have it the 
more clearly understood, that the sacred humanity of 
Jesus Christ is raised to the highest degree of glory 
and power in heaven, and that he rests, after his 
labors, on the throne of his eternal empire. When a 
king associates his son with him in the government of 
his kingdom, he places him on a throne by his side, 
to show that he wishes to have him regarded as his 
equal, and that all persons in his kingdom should 

*Ps., XV, 10. 



OF DEATH. 81 

render liim the same respect and obedience wliicli they 
pay to himself. 

The Holy Scripture represents God to us seated upon 
his throne, as the sovereign Lord and Master of the 
universe. When, then, we say that Jesus Christ sits 
on the right hand of Grod, his Father, we are to under- 
stand that being, as God, equal to his Father, he is, as 
man, by reason of his glory and power, raised above 
all created beings : his sacred humanity enjoying the 
glorious privilege of being united to the Eternal 
Word. 

Our divine Lord, in the kingdom of his glory, is not 
unmindful of us ; he is attentive to our wants j he 
exercises for us the office of Mediator, presenting to his 
Eternal Father the wounds he received in his passion, 
thereby to obtain his mercy for men : and shall not the 
voice of his blood be more powerful in obtaining that 
mercy, if we avail ourselves of its merits, than that of 
our sins in drawing down upon us the chastisement of 
Divine Justice ? He is in heaven as our King and 
Lord. He has sovereign dominion over us, not only 
because he has created and preserves us, but also be- 
cause he has redeemed us. We belong to him, there- 
fore, as his inheritance, his conquest, and the price of 
his blood. 

Jesus Christ, in Heaven, is our High Priest. He 
exercised this office on the cross, by ofiering himself to 
his Eternal Father, as a victim of propitiation for our 
sins : he exercises it now in heaven, where, being at 
his right hand, he presents himself before Him ; and, 
as he possesses an eternal priesthood, he can always 
save' those who approach God through his mediation. 
Having, then, for High Priest, Jesus Christ, the Son 
of God, let us approach his throne with confidence, that 
we may find mercy and the assistance of his grace in 
our necessities ; for the High Priest that we have, is 
not one who cannot have compassion on our infirmities, 
but one who was tempted in all things like ourselves 
— yet without sin.* In fine, Jesus Christ in heaven 
* Feb., iv, 15, 16. 



82 DTTirS OF A CEEISTIAX. 

IS our head ; that is, he is the head of the body of 
which we are the members. This body is the Church, 
and Jesus Ghiist is to his Ohmx^h what the head is to 
the body 5 he gives it life, he animates it with his 
spirit : every grace, good thought, holy desire-— every 
good work flows from the plenitude, which is in Christ, 
our head. 



A gentleman, who was very fervent in the practice 
of his Chrisrian duties, made a most edifying joomey 
tLi' -ugh the Holy Land. He first made bis confession, 
and received, with great devotion, the sacrament of 
cm L- lis Body. He then went to Nazareth, where 
oin- Lord oecame incarnate ; to Bethlehem, where he 
was bom 5 to the Jordan, in which he was baptized by 
St. John : to the desen, where he fasted for forty days; 
to Mount Tabor, where he was transfigured ; to the 
supper-room, in Jerusalem, in which he instituted the 
Blessed Eucharist; to the Grarden of Olives, the 
praetorium of Pilate, and the hill of Calvary, which 
where the theatres of his ignominies and sufferings ; to 
the sepulchre, in which his body was laid and from 
w hich he arose on the third day ; and last of all, to 
Mount Olivet, where, after having blessed his apostles, 
he ascended triumphantly into heaven. At these 
different stations, fall of the most lively faith, this 
fervent Christian honored the mysteries of our Lord's 
life upon earth, and his heart was inflamed with the 
most ai'dent love. Having now no farther to go, 
whilst he yet remained on Mount Olivet, he pronouhced 
the followinDf prayer : ^^ O Jesus, Jesus, my most 
amiable Redeemer, where shall I now seek thee upon 
earth, since thou hast left it f Permit me to follow 
thee. Draw me up to Heaven, where thou now 
ahidest I " Xo sooner had he concluded this prayer, 
than it was heard. He expired — dying of love for 
that Savior to whom he had been so tenderly devoted. — 
Lasatsse. 



OF DEATH. 83 

Exercises. — 1. When and how did Jesus Christ ascend into 
Heaven ? — 2. What do you mean by saying that Jesus Christ sits 
at the right hand of God ? — 3. What are the functions of the Son 
of God in the Kingdom of his glory ? — 4. What rights had he 
over us as our King and Lord ? — 5. Why do you say that Jesus 
Christ is our High Priest in heaven? — 6. What relation does 
Jesus Christ in Heaven bear to his Church ? 



CHAPTER VIIL 

ARTICLE 7. — "eKOM THENCE HE SHALL COME TO 
JUDGE THE LIYIKG AND THE DEAD.'' 

SECTION I. 

Of Death. 

" It is appointed for men once to die.''* There is 
nothing more certain than death ; nothing more uncer- 
tain than the time at which it shall happen. We shall 
all die j that is, we shall quit this earthy and enter into 
eternit3\ We shall quit all — parents, friends, riches, 
honors, employments, without exception, and for ever. 
At death everything will also leave us, and nothing 
will accompany us but our vices or virtues. If the 
mere thought of death is so insupportable to the lovers 
of this world, how terrible must it be in itself ! terri- 
ble moment ! which shall discover to them the empti- 
ness of the things here below which they so much 
loved, and the importance of those virtues, which they 
knew, perhaps, only to despise. 

Nothing is more uncertain than the time and circum- 
stances of death. Shall we die after a short life, or 
shall we arrive at old age? in the grace of God, or in 
sin *? No one can tell j what is certain is, that we shall 
die, and probably as we shall have lived ; that we shall 
gather what we will have sowed ; for death is the echo 
of life. What is certain, besides, is, that death fixes 
our destiny, and decides our lot for eternity : if we die 
in the state of grace, we shall be eternally happy ; if 
in the state of sin, we shall be for ever miserable, 

*Heb., ix, 27. 



84 DUTIES or A CHRISTIAN. 

Since, then, death is unavoidable, and must decide 
our lot for eternity, we ought to prepare assiduously for 
its coming, and profit of the tiroe that yet remains to us. 
Our paramount interest, or rather, our only interest, is 
here concerned ^ for Jesus Christ has said, '' What 
doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and 
suffer the loss of his o^ti soul ? *^ * — and what consolation 
will it be for a man, tormented in the fire of hell, to 
reflect that he was great, powerful, or prosperous, in 
this world ? Ah ! it is then, indeed, he will acknow- 
ledge that he was in error, and that there is no one 
truly rich, but he who is possessed of virtue. ^^ I have 
been monarch of the greatest empire in the universe," 
said the Emperor Severus at his death ; ^^ I have been 
all that a mortal could be, and yet nothing now remains 
to me that can afford me the least comfort or service.'^ 
The gTcat Saladin caused a herald to go before him, 
carrpng the winding-sheet in which he was to be 
buried, and proclaiming, '^ Behold all that shall remain 
to the mighty Saladin, out of the emphes he has 
conquered ! " 

Trifling affairs are transacted without much applica- 
tion ; great ones require much care and solicitude. As 
it is the mark of a little mind to occupy itself much 
with things that are trifling, it is the characteristic of a 
great one to give all its attention to those that are 
important. Our cares should always be proportioned to 
the value of the thing on which they are bestowed. 
Now what greater affair have we on hand than that of 
dying well "? Is life too long to prepare for death ? or 
are its few short years too many to occupy in prepara- 
tion for eternity ? 

A man condemned to death w^ould make small 
account of the goods and honors of this life : such 
should be our dispositions. Death continually pursues 
and will infallibly overtake us, and that at a moment 
when, perhaps, we least think of it. As each day may 
be the last of our life, we should daily prepare for 
death. Let us not delude ourselves in a matter so 
* Matt., xvi, 26. 



OF DEATH. 85 

momentous, nor defer om^ repentance from day to day ; 
for ^' God/^ says St. Augustine, ^^ who has promised the 
pardon of sin to a true conversion, has not promised to 
afford time for that conversion.^^ — It is foolish — nay 
criminal, to postpone preparation for death till our last 
sickness. What ! at a time when a person is incapable 
of transacting the most ordinary business, to think he 
can accomplish a work the most difficult, the most 
important, and that which, of all works, requires the 
greatest attention ! How can he receive the sacraments 
with fruit, when he hardly knows what he is doing ? 
How unburden his conscience, weighed down with 
iniquity, when all the faculties of his soul are absorbed 
by the pains and horrors of death ? How prove to 
God that he detests the sin which he loved so long as he 
could procure its enjoyment ? It is not, in reality, the 
sinner that then abandons sin, but the power of sinning 
that fails the sinner. Those who have lived in sin, 
Gr^-^ ordinarily suffers to die impenitent; and when it 
happens otherwise, it is a miracle of his mercy. God 
can, when he pleases, work this miracle ,* but it is a 
foolish and damnable presumption to lead a sinful life 
in expectation of such a miracle at death. 



A young French officer who was obliged to leave his 
country, withdrew into Spain, and moved by the grace 
of God, resolved to consecrate the remainder of his life 
to preparation for death. Full of this design, he pre- 
sented himself as a postulant at a religious house, 
remarkable for the austere and penitential lives of its 
inmates. His entreaties were earnest, and he obtained 
admission. During his novitiate, he wrote to his sister 
in the following terms : '^ There is scarcely a beggar in 
Spain who is not better fed, clothed, and lodged than 
we are, and yet not one amongst us would exchange 
his condition for an empire, knowing well that death 
soon confounds the emperor with the meanest of his 
subjects, and that we carry nothing with us out of this 
world but our works. Oh ! how we shall rejoice for 
having sowed in tears ! The labor is temporary — the 



86 DUTIES OF A CHEISTrOr. 

repose wliicli succeeds is eternal ! " Five months after 
bis profession, lie was attacked with di'opsy, which, in 
four months, terminated his earthly pilgrimage. Before 
his death, he was laid on straw and ashes, that he 
might die like a penitent. Taking the hand of the 
abbot, who stood beside him, he pressed it afiectionately, 
and ^nth a look of gratitude, which affected the whole 
community, said, ^^ father ! how great is my happi- 
ness ! In opening to me the door of this monastery, 
you opened to me the gate of heaven. How I now 
rejoice that I have prepared for death ! and oh ! how 
sweet it is to die, when one has a firm hope of passing 
from earth to heaven ! Happy are they who compre- 
hend well these words, WJiat doth it profit a man to 
gain the ivhole tvorld, and suffer the loss of his oivn 
sold ! "* 

What subject of regret has the just man at death ? 
Not the goods of the earth — his heart has always been 
detached from them ; nor famil}^ and friends — for he 
knows that his separation from them shall be only 
temporary. ^^ We shall meet again,'' said a young 
lady at the point of death to her disconsolate parents ; 
'' we shall meet again." She died pronouncing these 
words ; and a beautiful monument was erected over 
her remains, on which she was represented writing on a 
pillar— TFe shall meet again ! 

A child, only seven years old, being at the point of 
death, said to his mother, vrhom he saw vveeping by his 
bedside, " Have you not taught me, mother, that to 
see God, I must first die? " 



Exercises. — 1. What terminates man's existence here below ? 
— 2. What practical consequences mav be drawn from the 
certainty of death; and the uncertainty of the time and manner 
thereof? — 3. Show us that it is the height of rashness and folly 
to defer the preparation for death. 



* Mark, xvi, 26. 



OF JUDGMENT. 87 

SECTION II. 

Of Judgment, 

" It is appointed for men once to die, and after this 
the judgment.'^ * The soul being immortal, it neces- 
sarily follows that there must be a judgment which will 
decide our lot for eternity ; for the fate of the just and 
that of the impious cannot be alike. Faith teaches 
that this judgment will take place, and that it will be 
of two kinds — the particular and the general. The 
particular judgment is that which every one must 
undergo immediately after death, for the evil he has 
done, or the good he has omitted ; and by this judgment 
his lot for eternity will be decided. Souls stained with 
venial guilt, must expiate it in purgatory before they 
can be admitted into heaven ; those who are entirely 
exempt from sin, will instantly take possession of the 
glory of the blessed; but those who die in the unex- 
piated guilt of mortal sin, will be cast into hell, to 
await the general resurrection at the end of the world. 
The general judgment will then take place, and in it 
will be manifested and confirmed the sentence pro- 
nounced in the particular. The most awful signs will 
go before it, as our Lord himself has declared in his 
Gospel. There shall be w^ars, and rumors of wars, and 
famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes ; the sun and 
moon shall be darkened ] the stars shall fall from 
heaven ; t the sea shall make a frightful noise by reason 
of the agitation of its waters ; and men shall wither away 
with fear, in expectation of the evils which are to come 
upon the universe, f In a moment, in the twinkling of 
an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet, the dead shall 
arise. § The sign of the Son of Man, that is, his cross, 
will appear in the heavens, and Jesus Christ will descend 
visiVdy in great power and majesty, to render to every 
one according to his works. || He will be accompanied 
by his angels, who shall at once separate the good from 
the bad. ^^ The angels,^' says the Evangelist, '^ shall 

* Ilel)., ix, 27. t Matt., xxiv, 6, 7, 29. X Luke, xxi, 25,26. 
^ 1 Coi-., XV, 52. II Matt.; xxiv, 30. 



88 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIA:^-. 

go out, and separate tlie wicked from among the just."* 
How terrific this separation ! how different the lot of 
each ! The just will be placed on the right hand of the 
Sovereign Judge, the wicked on his left, t Then the 
conscience of each one shall be manifested in the pres 
ence of the entire universe, and those crimes that are 
now most hidden and secret, will then be revealed in 
all their enormity. 

The just man who had been despised on earth, will 
appear ornamented with all the good works which he 
had so carefully concealed, and the sinner will be cov- 
ered ^yYth confusion and shame at the sight of the in- 
iquities which he had hidden from men. Then will 
vice appear as it really is, with all the deformity and 
infamy which naturally belong to it. What joy mil 
then be felt by the virtuous young man who despised 
the language of sinners, and fled from the contagion of 
their wicked example ! How will he then be indemni- 
fied for the combats he sustained, and the raillery which 
he endm^ed for his faith ! What despair, on the other 
hand, vnll seize the heart of the young libertine, when 
he shall see exposed in the view of heaven and earth 
his most hidden crimes, and shall behold the objects of 
his ridicule numbered amongst the saints ! How will 
he then abhor those vices w^hich, dming life, had 
charmed and seduced him ! 

But this is only the iDreparation — the prelude to the 
judgment. What impression must be produced by the 
sentence of the Sovereign Judge ! All being in pro- 
foand silence, the Son of God will address those on his 
right hand in these consoling words : '^ Come ye blessed 
of my Father, possess the Kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world." Then tm^ning to 
the reprobate, he will say, ^' Depart from me, you 
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and 
his angels." J The moment this decree is pronounced, 
the just shall ascend to the enjoyment of everlasting 
happiness with God and his angels^ the wicked shall 

* Matt., xii, 49. tMatt., xxv, 32, 33. 

t Matt., XXV; 34, 41. 



OF JUDGMEITT. 89 

be precipitated into hell to bum forever, without the 
least hope of ever possessing the happiness they have 
forfeited. Let us, then, prevent this terrible judgment, 
and profit of the advice our Lord gives us in his Gospel : 
'^ Take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be 
overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and the 
cares of this life ; and that day come upon you suddenly. 
For as a snare shall it come on all those that sit upon 
the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, pray- 
ing at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to 
escape all these things that are to come, and to stand 
before the Son of Man." * 



A young man, who in his childhood had been trained 
up in piety under the care of a good and virtuous mother, 
yielded so far to the temptations of the devil as to 
abandon himseK to the most shameful irregularities. 
One good effect of his religious education, however, yet 
remained : though he was depraved in morals, he had 
not lost his respect for religion. One night, after a day 
on which he had been guilty of many grievous sins, he 
had a dream : he imagined that he was carried before 
the tribunal of God, and that he was unable to make 
any reply to the interrogatories put to him, or to offer 
any defence of the crimes laid to his charge. His con- 
fusion and terror were beyond description. Awaking 
from sleep, he was covered with a cold perspiration, and 
his mind was filled with horror at the spectacle he had 
just witnessed. In a few moments, some of his family 
entered the room, but he said to them ; '' Leave me to 
myself; I have seen my Judge : O my God, grant me 
pardon ! '' Some of the companions of his irregularities, 
hearing of his illness, came to visit and console him. 
^^ Begone,'^ said he to them ; ^^ I know you no longer — 
I will never see you again — I have seen my Judge — 
All my crimes are written against me. Never, until 
now, did I know their number or enormity. The devil 
awaited but the signal to carry me away. My God ! 
how I tremble ! False friends, begone from mo forever. 
* Luke; xxi, 34-36. 



90 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

How liappy shall I be if I can appease my Judge by a 
life of rigid penance ! From this moment I begin to 
serve Him. I shall soon, in reality, appear before his 
tribunal. It may be this very day. Pardon me, 
my God ! May I never cease to invoke thy mercy. 
Pardon me, my God ! have mercy on me 3 cast me 
not off forever.'^ 



Exercises. — 1. What necessarily follows from the truth, that 
the soul is immortal ? — 2. What does faith teach us concerning 
this judgment ? — 3. What do you understand by the particular 
judgment ? — 4. What signs shall precede the general judgment ? 
— 5. How shall the general judgment take place ? — 6. What 
difference will be remarked between the just man and the sinner 
at the moment of the general judgment ? — 7. By what terms does 
our divine Lord in his Gospel advise us to prepare for the 
general j udgment ? 



CHAPTEE IX. 

ABTICLE 8. — " I BELIEVE LtT THE HOLT GHOST.'^ 

It is not sufficient to believe in the Father Almighty, 
who created us, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, who 
redeemed us 5 we must also believe in the Holy Ghost, 
who sanctified us, as is evident from the words of St. 
Paul to some amongst the Ephesians.* 

We must, then, with a firm faith, believe that in God 
there is a third person, the Holy Ghost. This third per- 
son proceeds from the Father and the Son, and has the 
same nature, the same divinity, as the other two persons. 
The Holy Ghost is, therefore, equal to the Father and 
to the Son : He is eternal, almighty, infinite ; He has 
the same perfections : in a word. He is the same God 
as the Father and the Son. It is in his name, as well 
as in that of the Father and the Son, that we are bap- 
tized ; and as He is one and the same God with Them, 
we owe Him the same adoration and homage. Hence, 
the Holy Ghost is adored and glorified conjointly with 
the Father and the Son, and we conclude all our 
* Acts, xix; 2. 



THE HOLY GHOST. 91 

prayers witli these words : '^ Glory be to tlie Father, 
and to the Son, and to the Holy (xhost." 

This Holy Sphit descended on the Apostles, on the 
feast of Pentecost, in the form of tongues of fire. He 
filled them with courage and fortitude to preach the 
Gospel and to give evidence of its truth, by the efiiision 
)f their blood. He also communicated to them the gift 
f)f tongues, and the graces necessary for the establish- 
ment of the Church and the conversion of the world.* 

The Holy Ghost is a Spirit of Love, who communi- 
cates to our souls that charity by which we are sanctified. 
To Him, then, is attributed in a particular manner the 
work of our sanctification. It is He who imparts to us 
sanctifying grace, which is the life of the soul ; for our 
souls can have life only inasmuch as they are united to 
Him, and that his grace abides in, and animates, them. 
We are, of ourselves, totally incapable of any motion 
towards God, without his assistance ; nor can we do 
anything whatever, in the order of salvation, but by 
his impulse and inspiration. 

The Holy Ghost is called the Spirit of Truthj that is, 
the Source of all truth, and the Master who teaches it. 
It was He that, in an instant, filled the understanding 
of the apostles with light, and imparted to them that 
knowledge of heavenly things necessary for the instruc- 
tion of mankind. It was He that spoke by the 
prophets and evangelists. It is He that still instructs 
us, dissipating, by his light, the darkness of our ignor- 
ance, pointing out to us the path which leads securely 
to heaven, and giving us strength and courage to walk 
therein. " Thy good spirit,^' said the prophet, ^^ shall 
lead me into the right land."t It is this Holy Spirit, 
in fine, that speaks interiorly to us, warning us against 
evil, and inclining us to good ,• and it is He whom we 
resist, when we reject the inspirations which incline us 
to avoid the one and to embrace the other. 



Simon the Magician had long seduced the people of 
Samaria by his practice of the magic art, and was 
* Acts, ii, 4. t Pe.; cxlii, 10. 



92 DUTIES OF A CHPvISTIAlSr. 

called by his followers, TJie Potver of God, When the 
apostleSj St. Peter and St. John, repaired to Samaria to 
confirm, by the imposition of hands, the newly baptized 
who had been converted by the preaching and miracles 
of St. Philip the Deacon, Simon also believed in Christ, 
and received baptism. Seeing the wonders which 
were operated by the apostles on those who had re- 
ceived the Holy Ghost, he presumptuously sought to 
obtain the power of imposing hands on the people, with 
the design of turning to his own glory and advantage 
the miracles he hoped to perform. He, therefore, offered 
money to St. Peter, saying, ^^ Give me also this power, 
that on whomsoever I shall lay my hands, he may 
receive the Holy Ghost.'^ St. Peter replied, " Keep thy 
money to thyseK to perish with thee, because thou hast 
thought that the gift of God may be purchased mth 
money. Do penance.'^ * Far from taking the advice 
of the apostle, he gave himself anew to the practice of 
magic, abandoned himself to all kinds of irregularities, 
and became the secret enemy of the apostles. Having 
infected Samaria with the most extravagant errors, lie 
went to Rome where he wished to pass for a god. He 
promised the emperor Nero, who protected him, that he 
would raise himseK in the air in presence of the people, 
as a proof of his being a divinity. On the day appoint- 
ed, a multitude of people assembled, and Simon raised 
himself, or rather was raised on high by the power of 
the devil ; but St. Peter had recourse to prayer and 
was immediately heard, for the power of the devil was 
withdrawn, and the unfortunate man fell to the ground, 
and was so bruised by the fall, that he died immedi- 
ately. From this Simon is derived the word simony, sl 
detestable sin, which is committed by those who pur- 
chase or sell the gifts of the Holy Ghost. — Lasatjsse. 



Exercises. — 1. Is it sufficient for us to believe in the Father 
and the Son?— 2. Who is the Holy Ghost?— 3. What effects did 
the descent of the Holy Ghost produce on the apostles ? — 4. 
Why do we attribute to the Holy Ghost the sanctiiication of our 
Boul ?— 5. Why is the Holy Ghost styled the Spirit of Truth ? 
^ Acts, viii; 19, 20, 22. 



THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHUECH. 93 

CHAPTER X. 

ARTICLE 9. — I BELIEVE IN ^^ THE HOLT CATHOLIC 
CHURCH; THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS.^' 

SECTION I. 

Of the EstaUisJiment of the Church, 

The Oliurcli lias existed from tlie beginning of the 
world ; that is, there have at all times been men who 
have made profession of their belief in (xod, who have 
adored and served Him, and have hoped for salvation 
through the merits of the Messiah. The adorers of the 
true God did not, however, always form a society, 
united by exterior or visible bonds. The Jews were 
the only nation, before the coming of our Redeemer, 
who, in quality of God's chosen people, had a law and 
regligious exercises in common. But Jesus Christ, 
who came into the world to save all men, has given 
them new means of salvation ; he wishes that all be 
united, so as to form one body, and he has imparted to 
them a new law — the law of grace. 

The apostles, having received the Holy Ghost, 
came forth from the house in which they had shut 
themselves up, and announced in the midst of Jeru- 
salem the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Three thousand 
Jews were converted at the first sermon of St. Peter, 
and ^ye thousand at the second. The number of the 
faithful increased daily j and these men, regenerated by 
baptism, and renewed by the Holy Spirit, presented to 
the world a spectacle of the purest and most perfect 
virtue. The apostles soon after preached the Gospel 
throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria ; thence they 
passed into Syria and the provinces of Asia Minor, 
Macedonia, Greece, and almost through the entire 
world, announcing everywhere the Gospel, that is, the 
good news of the redemption of man, by the sufferings 
of Jesus Christ. 

The Jews, however, remained obstinate in their 
opposition to the Gospel, and cruelly })ersecuted those 
who embraced it. Infidels, on the other hand, used 



94 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAIN". 

every effort to prevent its establishment. The great 
and powerful amongst them declared themselves, from 
the beginning, its most implacable enemies ; yet, not- 
withstanging the fury of the Jews, the opposition of 
the powerful, and the general corruption of the people, 
— long attached to a religion altogether sensual — the 
apostles established throughout the world the Church 
of* Jesus Christ. Those whom they made choice of as 
their successors in the ministry, imitated their zeal, and 
transmitted, in like manner, to their successors, the 
sacred deposit of the faith which has thus been handed 
down from age to age to the present time, in all its 
original purity. 

To form an idea of what an admu^able work the 
establishment of Christianity was, we should consider 
that it was effected by twelve men of low condition, 
without education, property, or influence, and to whom 
their Master had promised no other portion, in this 
world, than persecutions, sufierings, and martyrdom ; — 
such were the apostles. Can any one suppose that 
twelve men of this character, if not animated by the 
Spirit of God, w^ould not have shrunk from undertak- 
ing to change the face of the universe, to convert all 
nations — Greeks and Romans, Jews and Pagans — and 
that, too, by proposing to them the most incomprehensi- 
ble mysteries and the strictest morality? Yet these 
twelve men, thus destitute of all human succor, — with 
no other arms than the cross, no other means than the 
Word, no other defence than patience under every trial 
not only formed this extraordinary design, but actually 
carried it into execution. They preached a doctrine , 
which captivated the mind and won the heart : they 
preached it in the midst of the Roman Empire, in tha 
principal cities, — cities the richest, the most learned, 
and the most voluptuous, — in Antioch, Alexandria, 
Ephesus, Corinth, Athens, and even in Rome itself. 
Every effort was made to oppose this new doctrine; 
everything done to stifle Christianity in its very birth, 
and to arrest its progress, — confiscation, exile, imprison- 
ment, torture : and yet Christianity was established in 



ESTABLISHMEIl^T OF THE CHUKCH. 95 

all parts of the world by tlie force of mere persuasion, 
notwithstanding all the opposition of the powers of this 
world, and all the means for its destruction, which 
human wisdom, supported by passion, interest, policy, 
and the most extravagant violence, could invent. 

To abandon a religion, ordaining practices painful to 
nature, and proscribing every vice, in order to embrace 
one favorable to the senses, and which would give a 
free scope to the passions, is a thing easily comprehend- 
ed J but to abjure a religion favorable to the passions, 
in order to embrace the cross and penance, and to 
expose one's self to the loss of property and life, — it 
was what conviction alone could effect ; and this is what 
it did really eftect at the establishment of the Christian 
religion. Surely we cannot help exclaiming. The 
finger of God is here ! for either the apostles performed 
miracles to prove to the people the truth of w^hat they 
announced, or they convinced them without miracles. 
If they performed miracles, then it was God himself 
who presided over this work 5 and if they persuaded 
the world without miracles, the proof would still be 
the stronger ; it was a divine power alone which could 
establish this persuasion in the minds of men, despite 
of all the obstacles opposed to it. '' The conversion of 
the world efiected without miracles, would be, itself, 
the greatest of miracles. '^ 



Yictorinus, a celebrated orator, was a professor of 
rhetoric in Eome. He had passed his life in the study 
of the liberal arts 5 had read and examined almost all 
the writings of the ancient philosophers ; and was 
master of all the learning most prized amongst the 
Eoman senators. He had exercised his profession 
with so much success and reputation, that his statue 
was erected in one of the public places in Rome ] and 
this was one of the highest honors to which a man could 
then aspire. He was, however, still a pagan, and a 
worshipper of idols, and not only did he adore them 
himself, but he even employed his eloquence to engage 
others in this impious worship. How great the grace 



96 DUTIES or A CHRISTIAN. 

which could touch and convert a heart like his ! Victori- 
nus began to read the Holy Scriptures, and soon after 
to study them attentively ; he read other books also, 
which treated of the Christian religion. He one day 
waited on St. Simplician, with whom he had been 
intimate, and said to him, ^^ I have news with which I 
am sure you will be pleased ; I am a Christian.'' " I 
cannot believe it,'' said St. Simplician, ^^ and shall not, 
until I see you in the Church, joining in the prayers of 
the faithful." ^^ What !" replied Yictorinus, ^^is it by 
being shut up within walls, that a man is known to be 
a Christian?" Every time that he protested he was a 
Christian, Simplician made the same observation, which 
was followed by a similar answer. 

The fear which Victorinus entertained of incurring 
the displeasure of his friends, and which he knew would 
prove his destruction if once excited, retained him still 
in the bosom of infidelity j but his courage and gener- 
osity soon triumphed over his difficulty. He became 
convinced that it would be a heinous crime to be 
ashamed of the mysteries of Jesus Christ, and yet feel 
no shame at the horrible superstitions of paganism. 
Feeling one day a more than ordinary determination to 
embrace the Gospel, he waited on Simplician, and said 
to him, " Let us go to the Church ; I am resolved not 
only to be a Christian, but openly t<^ appear such." 
Simplician, filled with joy, instantly accompanied him, 
and placed his name on the list of those who desired 
baptism. The whole cit}^ was filled with astonishment 
and admiration at this wonderful conversion, the high 
reputatiou of Yictorinus adding considerably to the 
universal joy which was difihsed among the faithful. 

The happy day, destined for the public profession of 
faith, previous to baptism, at length arrived. The 
custom of the Roman Church was, that the formula 
should be committed to memor}^, and pronounced "v\ith 
a loud voice, in the presence of all the faithful. The 
priests, tln-ough deference to Yictorinus, ofiered to 
permit him to pronounce it in private, a favor which 
was ordinarily granted only to the timid ; but Yictorinus 



ESTABLISHMEiTT OF THE CHURCH. 97 

wished to profess aloud^ and in tlie presence of all the 
people, the heavenly doctrine which leads to salvation. 
When he appeared in the Church, a sudden transport 
of joy filled all who were present ; and, although each 
endeavored to moderate it through respect for the place 
and ceremony, yet a low whispering was heard on every 
side : '' It is Victorinus ! it is Victorinus ! '' Anxiety 
to hear him produced a profound silence; when he, 
full of holy courage, pronounced in a loud and distinct 
voice the truths which are the objects of our faith. 
Every one in the assembly was desirous of pressing him 
to his heart, and expressing the joy which he experi- 
enced in beholding him a Christian. This remarkable 
conversion was productive of the most happy conse- 
quences; and when St. Augustine, then a Manichee, 
heard it mentioned by St. Simplician, he acknowledged 
that he felt strongly disposed to follow the example. 
This he did soon after, when he was received into the 
Church by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. 

We should learn from the conversion of this great 
man, first: — ^not to hesitate to correspond with the divine 
grace^ the moment we receive its inspiration, lest 
through our infidelity we may cause it to be withdrawn ; 
secondly : — to repair,, by some heroic acf of virtue, the 
infidelities and resistance with which we may have 
hitherto opposed it ; and thirdly : — to be the more 
faithful in future, in proportion as our correspondence 
with it was the longer delayed. — Vide Conf. S. Aug. 
1, viii. 



Exercises.— 1. Has the Church always existed?— 2. What 
were the happy results of the apostles^ first preaching? — 
3. What obstacles did they encounter in preaching the Gospel ? 
— 4. How may we form an idea of the admirable work of the 
establishment of Christianity ? — 5. Show that the establishment 
of Christianity was not a human invention? — 6. Were the 
obstacles opposed to its establishment very great ? 



98 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAlSr. 

SECTION II. 

Of the Church, — Constancy of the Martyrs. 

The persecution against the Churcli of Jesus Christ 
ended not with the lives of the apostles : for three 
hundred years all the powers of earth continued to make 
war upon it. No fewer than ten general persecutions 
were raised by the Roman Emperors during this period, 
in which thousands of Christians of every ag*e, sex, and 
condition, suffered torments and death, in testimony of 
their faith in Jesus Christ. Every species of torture 
that the malice of man could invent or the fury of hell 
suggest, was tried in order to force them to renounce 
their religion. Some were stretched upon racks, with 
their hands and feet fastened with cords j others were 
hung up by the arms, with weights attached to their 
feet; and, in this condition, they were inhumanly 
scourged with iron-pointed whips, until their sides and 
entrails were laid bare. When they did not expire 
under these torments, salt and vinegar were applied to 
their wounds, in order to render them the more painful ; 
at other times these wounds were again opened, when 
they began 1^ heal. The prisons became, for the 
Christians, a new mode of punishment ; and for them 
the most infected were reserved. Into these prisons 
they were cast naked — their feet bound and their wounds 
yet bleeding, — with no other bed than the dungeon- 
floor, thickly strewed with pieces of broken glass. 
Sometimes they were left to die of hung-er ; and when 
food was given them, it was only with the intention of 
reserving them for greater punishment. They were 
ordinarily not permitted to converse mth any one, 
because it was known that, in this state, they converted 
many infidels to the faith, and, in some instances, the very 
gaoler and guards to whose keeping they w^ere con- 
signed. The punishment which usually put an end to 
these tortm-es, was to be beheaded, or burnt alive, or 
precipitated into the sea, or devoured by wild beasts. 
The martyrs, notwithstanding, remained firm and un- 
shaken, their very torments serving but to increase their 



OF THE CHURCH. 99 

courage and resolution. Nor was it by men alone that 
this astonishing constancy was exhibited; delicate 
women, and even young children, were equally firm 
and courageous 5 so powerful was the grace of 
Jesus Christ, which strengthened and sustained 
them. 

Ecclesiastical History furnishes us with examples of 
heroism, which were not only above human strength, but 
even beyond our admiration. We cannot, without 
astonishment, read of the sufferings of the martyrs of 
Lyons and Vienne, under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius j 
or what is reported by Eusebius of the martyrs %of 
Palestine, and by Sozomen of those of Persia ; or what 
is found in the original acts of the martyrs of Africa. 
All these generous combatants — the bare mention of 
whose torments causes one to shudder— suffered with 
invincible patience ; many suffered even with joy, and of 
heir own accord, presented themselves to their perse- 
cutors, fearing that they might possibly be spared, and 
thus be deprived of the martyr's crown. St. Lawrence, 
extended on his gridiron, told his executioners to turn 
his body on the other side, as the fire could do no 
f mother injury to that which was already i)urned. What 
language while suffering the most excruciating tor- 
ments ! Whence came that invincible courage, which 
enabled those Christian heroes to brave torments and 
death ? Who endued them with strength so superior 
to whatever the cruelty of tyrants could invent f A 
divine power it was, without doubt, which thus fortified 
their natural weakness ; and, therefore, the religion is 
divine which the martyrs cemented with their blood. 
Never could it have survived attacks so violent and so 
multiplied, had it not been sustained by an almighty 
hand. Every effort made for its destruction served but 
to fortify and confirm it ; and the more cruel the perse- 
cution, the more widely did the faith extend. The 
blood of the martyrs, as a fruitful seed, brought forth 
new children to the Church ; and the world, wliich had 
furiously persecuted the disciples of Jesus Christ, was 
forced to cry out, ^^ How great is the God of the 



100 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

Cliristians ! '^ and, finally, to embrace tlie religion for 
wliich the martyrs bled. 



The Emperor Valens, who was an Arian, forbade, 
under pain of death, the Christians of Edessa, where he 
then was, to exercise publicly any act of religion. The 
Catholics, far from yielding obedience to this unjust and 
impious mandate, continued to assemble at their usual 
place of worship. The emperor hearing of this disobedi- 
ence, ordered the prefect of the city to go, on the follow- 
ing morning, to the place where they assembled, and 
put to death all he could find. The prefect, who was 
favorably disposed towards the Christians, privately 
acquainted them with the order he had received, and 
which he durst not disobey, hoping hereby to prevent 
them from incurring the threatened danger. Far, how- 
ever, from keeping them at home, this intimation served 
but to increase their desire of being present, rejoicing at 
the favorable opportunity thus presented them, of giving 
their lives for Jesus Christ. At the appointed hour, 
the prefect set out, accompanied by a number of soldiers. 
Passing through one of the streets which led to the 
place in which the Christians assembled, he saw a 
young woman with a child by the hand, walking hastily 
in the same direction. ^^ Whither are you going T^ 
said he, addressing her. '^ I am going," she replied, 
"• to where the Catholics are assembled.'^ " Stop, 
woman ! '' said the prefect, " do you not know that I am 
going, by the emperor's order, to put to the sword all I 
shall find there V^ ^^ I know it well," she answered, '' and 
for that reason, I hasten thither with my child only, that 
we both may have the happiness to die for Jesus Christ ! " 
The prefect, struck with admiration at such wonderful 
magnanimity, retm'ned to the emperor, and told what 
had transpired. Yalens, confounded, and filled with 
admiration at the heroic constancy of this people, soon 
after departed from thek city, and the Catholics enjoyed, 
unmolested, the free exercise of their religion — ^Eccle- 
siastical History. 



MAEKS OP THE CHDECH. 101 

Exercises, — 1. Did the persecutions, raised up against the 
Church, terminate at the death of the apostles ? — 2. Were these 
persecutions numerous and how long did they last? — 3. Enumerate 
some of the tortures invented to force the Christians to renounce 
their religion — 4. What was the conduct of the martyrs amidst 
these excruciating torments ? — 5. Was this marvelous constancy 
exhibited by men only ? 



SECTION III. 
Of the Marks of the Church, 

The Ohurcli is the congregation^ or society, of the 
faithful, who profess the same doctrine, partake of the 
same sacraments, and are governed by divinely- 
constituted pastors under one visible head who is Bishop 
of Eome, and Vicar and representative of the invisible 
head, — Jesus Christ. As there are many societies which 
usurp the title of churches, we should know well the marks 
which distinguish the true Church from those which are 
churches only in name. There are four marks, or 
characters, by which the true Church of Christ can easily 
and infallibly be distinguished from all separate con- 
gregations. These marks, or characters, are, — unitt/y 
sanctity^ catholicity j and apostolicity, 

1. The Church is one^ because there is but one Church 
in which salvation can be found, and because all the 
members who compose it profess the same faith, partici- 
pate in the same sacraments, are animated by the same 
spirit, reciprocally love one another with the same 
charity, aspire to the same end, and are obedient to the 
same pastors. This mark of unity in the true Church is 
abundantly evident from many passages in Holy Writ. 
Our Savior, speaking of himself in the character of the 
Good Shepherd, says : ^' Other sheep I have, that are 
not of this fold : them also I must bring, and they shall 
hear my voice, and there shall be made one fold and one 
Shepherd." * Again, addressing his heavenly Father, 
previous to his Passion, he says : '' And not for theia 
only do I pray, but for them also who through their word 
shall believe in me, that they all may be one, as Thou. 
* John, X, 16. 



102 DUTIES Oi^' A CliiliSiiAX 

Father^ in me, and I in Thee."* St. Paul emphatically 
inculcates the unity of the Church, in his Epistles. St. 
Cyprian, the great light of the third centmy, treating 
of the unity of the Church, writes as follows : — " There 
is but one God, and one Christ, and one faith, and a 
people joined in one solid body with the cement of con- 
cord. This unity cannot suffer a division, nor this one 
body bear to be disjointed. — He cannot have God for 
his Father, who has not the Church for his Mother. If 
any one could escape the del age out of Noah's ark, he 
w^ho is out of the Church may also escape. To abandon 
the Church is a crime which blood cannot wash away." 
St. -Augustine is equally strong : — ^^ All the assemblies, 
or rather divisions, that call themselves churches of 
Christ, but which, in fact, have separated themselves 
from the congregation of unity ^ do not belong to the true 
Chm'ch. They might, indeed, belong to her, if the 
Holy Ghost could be divided against himself; but as 
this is impossible, they do not belong to her." 

2. The Church is holy because her doctrine and sacra- 
ments are hol}^ ; all who have been recognized as saints 
were members of her communion, and Jesus Christ, her 
invisible Head, is the Author and Source of all grace 
and sanctity. That sanctity is a distinctive mark of the 
Clmrch, plainly follows from the Apostles' Creed, and 
also from these words of St. Peter : ^' You are a chosen 
generation, a kingly priesthood^ a holy nation, a pur- 
chased people." t 

3. The Church is catholic, or universal, as to timCj 
place, and doctrine. It embraces all time, for it has 
existed without interruption from the beginning, and will 
subsist to the consummation of ages, in virtue of the 
promise given by our divine Redeemer to his Church 
in the persons of the apostles. ^^ Behold," says he, '' I 
am with you all days, even to the consummation of the 
world." X The prophet Daniel, speaking of the Mes- 
siah and his spiritual kingdom, the Church, points out 
and foretells this universality as to time. '^ His power 
is an everlasting power, Avhich shall not be taken away j 

* John, xvii, 20, 21. 1 1 Pet., ii, 9. X Matt., xxvii, 20. 



MARKS OF THE CHUKCH. ^ 103 

and bis kingdom, that shall not be destroyed.'^* Other 
societies bear on their front, if we may so speak, the 
evidence of their novelty ; the very date of their origin 
is accm^ately determined — an evident proof that they 
are not the true Church of Jesus Christ. ^^ What new 
heresy," says St. Vincent of Lerins, " ever sprouted up, 
without bearing the name of its founder, the date of its 
origin,'^ &c. The Church embraces all places ; the faith- 
ful who compose it are spread throughout the world, whilst 
the members of the other denominations are confined 
to certain countries. '' From the rising of the sun even 
to the going down thereof, my name is great among the 
Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there 
is offered to my name a clean oblation : for my name is 
great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of hosts." t 
^^ Ask of Me," says the Father to his divine Son, *^ and 
I will give Thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and 
the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession." f ^^0 
happy Church ! happy Church ! " exclaims the great 
St. Augustine, "raise up thine eyes, and take a survey 
of the universal world ; and behold thine inheritance 
which reacheth to the uttermost bounds of the earth." 
The Church, besides, being more extended than the 
other societies styling themselves Christians, bears every- 
where the distinguishing name of Catholic ; a name by 
which she is designated even by her enemies. "We 
are Catholic Christians," says St. Augustine ; "we must 
hold to the Christian religion, and to that Church 
which is called Catholic, not only by her members, but 
even by all her enemies, for they are not understood, if 
they do not distinguish her by that name with which 
she is designated by the whole world." In fine, she 
is universal as to her doctrine, as the experience of 
eighteen centuries amply attests. She teaches her 

children to observe all that God has commanded 

" teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have 
commanded you."§ 

4. The true Chm^ch is apostolic because she has 

* Pan., vii, 14. t Mai., i, 11. X Ps. ii; 8. 

§ Matt.; xxviii, 20. 



104 • DUTIES OF A cheistia:n-. 

come down by a perpetual succession from the apostles, 
from whom she has her doctrine, orders, and mission. 
The Catholic Church alone can lay claim to these 
glorious features of apostolicity, '^ She was built/^ 
says St. Paul " upon the foundation of the apostles and 
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief 
corner-stone.'^* The other societies having separated 
themselves from the true Church, have lost that 
succession. Every one, then, can easily know if he is 
a member of the true Church, by examining whether 
he is united to the Pope, by means of his own pastor 
and bishop. The true Church is also visible and plain 
to every eye. We perceive, everywhere, a society 
that professes the same faith, believes the same 
mysteries, receives the same sacraments, and acknow- 
ledges the divine origin of the authority of its members. 
The Church is also called Boman, because the Pope, 
the successor of St. Peter, and bishop of Rome, is its 
Arisible head. 



St. Irenseus, bishop of Lyons, who had been a disciple 
of St. Polycarp, addressing Florinus, a propagator of 
errors contrary to the doctrine of the Church, said : 
" Your doctrine is not that of the bishops who were 
before us. I seem to hear the blessed Polycarp recount 
the conversation he had with John and the others who 
had seen the Lord, and recite to us what they had 
learned of his doctrine and miracles. I can assure you, 
that if this holy bishop heard the doctrine which you 
preach, he would instantly close his ears, and exclaim, 
as was his custom : — ^ Good God ! that I should be 
reserved till these times to hear such things ! ' — and so 
saying, would instantly retire.'' — Lasausse. 



Exercises. — 1. What is the Church ? — 2. What are the 
marks that distinguish the true Church from those which are 
churches only in name ? — 3. Why do we say that the Church 
is one ? — 4. What passages in Holy Writ are evidences of the 
unity of the Church ? — 5. What does St. Cypriaii say of the 
unity of the Church ? — 6. What language does St. Augustine 

* Ephes., ii, 20. 



THE AUTHOKITY OF THE CHURCH. 105 

use on the same subject ? — 7. Why is the Church lioly f — 8. How 
is the Church catholic ? — 9. What does the prophet Daniel 
foretell of her universality as to time ? — 10. Malachy^ as to space ? 
— 11. Why is the Church apostolic f — 12. How may one know 
that he is of the true Church ? — 13. Why is the Church called 
Eoman ? 



SECTION IV. 

Of the Authority of the Church, 

Jesus Christ gave to the pastors of the Church the 
power of instructing and governing the faithful in the 
way of salvation. '^ Going, therefore/' said he to his 

apostles, "teach ye all nations teaching them 

to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded 
you ] and behold, I am with you all days, even to the 
consummation of the world.'^ * 

The apostle St. Paul calls the Church, " the pillar 
and ground of the truth.'' t The body of the pastors, 
joined with their head, cannot possibly err in what 
concerns faith and morals ; the judgments which ihey 
pronounce respecting either, are, • therefore, infallible 
decisions, to which all the faithful are bound to yield 
obedience. The Church is the chair of truth ] it speaks 
to men in the name of God by the authority and assistance 
of God ; and when they submit to its teaching and 
decisions, it is to God himself they yield the homage of 
their faith. " He that heareth you, heareth me," said 
our Lord to his apostles ; " and he that despiseth you, 
despiseth me."f " If he will not hear the Church, let 
him be to thee as the heathen and the publican." § The 
voice of the pastors is, then, the voice of God himself. 
The apostles, conscious of the power which they had re- 
ceived from Jesus Christ, commenced their iirst decree in 
these remarkable words : " It liath seemed good to the 
holy Ghost and tous;"|| — instructing us thereby, that 
the judgment which they pronounced, was the judgment 
of God. That Jesus Christ should give to his Church 

* Matt., xxviii, 19, 20. t 1 Tim., iii, If). X Luke., x, 16. 
§ Matt., xviii, 17. || Acts, xv., 28. 



106 DTJTIES OF A CHRISTIAlSr. 

this infallible authority, was a matter of absolute 
necessity. If there were no tribunal to decide authorita- 
tively the questions that might be raised, as to what 
ought or ought not to be behevedj the faithful would 
bewilder themselves in their own imagination, nor 
would uniformity in belief, for any length of time, 
subsist amongst them. If this tribunal were not 
infallible, the truth of its decisions might be questioned ; 
and the faithful, involved in doubt and perplexity, would 
be liable to be carried about by every wind of doctrine. 
Jesus Christ has given to the pastors of his Church 
power to govern the faithful : this power of jurisdiction 
is that which is exercised by the Pope and by the 
bishops. The Pope is the successor of St. Peter, and 
the heir of all his power and authority. He is, under 
Jesus Christ, the supreme head and pastor of the 
Ohm'ch — the supreme judge and lawgiver, in all things 
relating to faith, morals, and discipline. The primacy, 
both of honor and jurisdiction, over all the other 
bishops, belongs to him ; and all persons are bound to 
pay the greatest respect, veneration, and obedience to 
his degrees and orders in all things belonging to 
religion. The bishops are the successors of the other 
apostles. ^ They have the power — Ist: of remitting sin, 
which power they can communicate to the priests, to 
be exercised by them with such limitations as they may 
prescribe;— 2(i: of binding and loosing, that is, retain- 
ing and forgiving sin, and of remitting the penalties 
incm-red by sin ; — 3d: of governing the faithful accord- 
ing to the doctrine and discipline of the Church. By 
the discipline of the Church, are meant such regulations 
as the Church, by the authority which Jesus Christ has 
confided to her, ordains relative to the conduct of 
clergy and laity ; and such usages and ceremonies as 
she ordains for the due performance of religious worship. 
This power of jurisdiction which resides in the 
principal ministers of Jesus Christ and pastors of the 
Church, extends only to members of the Church, and 
not to those who are entirely and notoriously separated 
from it, such as pagan and unbelievers. 



KO SALYATIO]^ OTJT OF THE CHUECH. 107 

During the time of the schism in Antioch, St. Jerome, 
in his desert^ was asked with w^hich of the contending 
parties he h eld communion. Being in doubt as to which he 
should join, he wrote to Pope Damasus in these words : 
'•' Following no other head than Jesus Christ, I am 
attached to the communion of your Holiness, that is, 
to the chair of Peter. Upon this rock I know that 
the Church was built. Yv'hoever eats the lamb out of 
this house is profane ; whoever is not in the ark will 
perish in the flood ; whoever gathereth not with you, 
scattereth. I, therefore, beg of you to point out to me 
with whom I shall hold communion." The Sovereign 
Pontiff attended to the prayer of St. Jerome, and, in 
consequence of the instructions he had received from 
Rome, this illustrious doctor joined in communion with 
Paulinus, who ordained him priest. Humble submis- 
sion to the decisions of the Church is the only means 
of avoiding errors in faith. 



Exercises. — 1. What power did Jesus Christ confer on his 
Church? — 2. How may the infallibility of the Church be proved? 
— 3. Why should we believe all that the Church teaches? — 4. 
Why was it necessary that the Church should be infallible ? — 5. 
Does the Church possess the right to make laws ? — 6. How are 
they punished who violate these laws ? — 7. What is the greatest 
ecclesiastical penalty ? — 8. On what authority is the power 
which the Church has to remit sin^ founded ? 



SECTIO:^ V. 

Out of the True Church there is no Salvation. 

There is not, perhaps, a form of words which for 
the last two centuries, has been more abused than this, 
— Out of the True Church there is no salvation ; and 
yet there is no truth more easily proved. What wo 
shall here say on this important subject, will show that 
the Catholic Church must necessarily profess this 
doctrine, and that she is not, on this account, charge- 
able with intolerance. 

There is but one God ; man, as his creatin-e, is obliged 
to obey Him, that is, to do his will, and honor Him in 



108 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAl^. 

the manner wliich He himself has prescribed. This 
trnthj in its ordinary acceptation, would alone be suffi- 
cient to prove that there is but one religion, one Ohm'ch, 
out of which there is no salvation. 

Every religion that believes itself the true one, should 
be able to say : " My founder is from God, or rather is 
God himself : his ambassadors have given unquestionable 
proofs of the divinity of their mission. The truths I 
propose are the only ones which have come from Him ; 
the virtues I command are those alone which lead to 
Him.^' Any religion which cannot hold this language, 
proves that it does not believe itself true. And is it not 
natural for those who are in the right way, to say to those 
who do not follow them : " You are going astray ; the 
path you follow will lead to your destruction ? ^^ This, 
in fact, is the language which has been held by all 
religions. We know with what fury the pagans perse- 
cuted the Christians ; we know the injuries and the slan- 
ders with which heretics have assailed the Catholic 
Church. Every religion, then, has pretended that, out 
of its own bosom, there is no salvation. Every religion 
has, therefore, been intolerant in this sense, that it could 
not approve of what was contrary to its own belief. 
Shall we, then, say that all religions are good ? This 
would be to advance the grossest absurdity, and to main- 
tain the affirmative and the negative on the same subject. 
But shall we say they are all false, in order to free our- 
selves from being subject to any ? He who would speak 
thus, would be most unreasonable^ since he would deny 
the existence of natural religion, that is, of the bonds 
which unite an intelligent creature with the Being who 
created him ; most foolhardy ^ denying incontestable 
facts believed by the whole universe, and which are 
convincing evidence that God has spoken to man; 
most intolerunt, since he would proscribe all belief 
and condemn all religious practices by which men have 
always rendered homage to the Divinity. 

But if it is evident to a reasonable being that there 
must b^ a religion, it is equally evident that there can 
be but 0)26 alone that bears the character of truth ; one 



NO SALYATIOiT OUT OF THE CHURCH, 109 

alone with whicli God can be pleased ; one alone wliicli 
leads to happiness. Surely, lie who does not acknowledge 
the Supreme Being who created him, or who outrages 
that Being by a criminal life, cannot have the same lot as 
he who loves and adores Him, and promotes his glory 
by the sanctity of his life : error and truth, vice and vir- 
tue, cannot have the same end, nor lead to the same 
happiness. There must be, then, but one religion, and 
one Church. 

Which, then, of all these religions should we acknow- 
ledge the true one ? which should we embrace to secure 
our salvation ? — Doubtless, that which gives the most 
decided proofs of the sanctity of its doctrine, and the 
divinity of its institution* that which has been an- 
nounced by the prophets and confirmed by miracles : 
that, in fine, which Jesus Christ has established, and 
which has been regularly transmitted to us, through 
every succeeding age, by the successors of the apostles. 
But it is the Catholic, Apostolic, and Eoman Church, 
which alone possesses these prerogatives. 

It is then true to say, that there is no salvation out 
of the Catholic Church, for she alone possesses all the 
characteristics of a divinely -revealed religion ; no sal- 
vation for him who, knowing the truth, lives not in 
accordance with its dictates, and dies impeniteiitj no 
salvation for him who could discover the truth and 
makes no effort to discover it ; no salvation for any one 
out of the pale of the Church, who has just reason to 
doubt the truth of his religion, and yet neglects the 
means necessary for ascertaining where that truth can 
be found. 

It is not the Church which damns those who do not 
profess her doctrine or practise her morality ; no, they 
are the cause of their own destruction, by their wilful 
obstinacy in rejecting the truth. The Church damns 
no one ; it announces that truth is one^ and that those 
who wilfully depart from it, are out of the way of salva- 
tion. The Church weeps over the blindness of such 
persons, and prays earnestly for their conversion ; but she 
leaves to the Searclier of hearts to judge of the upright- 



110 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIA^^. 

ness of their intention, and to see whether their igno 
ranee is really culpable, and whether they are account- 
able for their breach of that precious unity, which formg 
the essential characteristic of tmth. 

But it may be asked, what is to become of so many 
children who die without baptism 1 of so many pagans, 
Mahometans, Jews, and other unbelievers? As to the 
condition of the children who die without baptism, the 
Holy Scriptm-e does not speak of it, nor does the 
Chm'ch define anjnhing concerning it. The Church, 
indeed, teaches that they cannot enter heaven, but she 
does not teach that they will be subject to the same 
punishment as those who have offended by their ovm. 
actual transgressions. We know, for certain, that they 
shall not enjoy the beatific vision of God, but we are 
not obliged to believe that they shall feel the full bitter- 
ness of that privation. As to those persons who have 
an opportunity of kno-^dng the true religion, and yet 
will not embrace it, they shall with justice be con- 
demned ; but if any one is so circumstanced that it is 
absolutely impossible for him to know the truth, and 
that he obseiwes faithfully the law of natm-e engraven 
on the hearts of all men, we may believe that God would 
rather perform a miracle than leave such a one in error. 
Thu^doesthe Church repel the imputation of intolerance. 

But whence comes this ardent interest which the 
incredulous seem to bear towards infidels, and those 
who are not enlightened by the faith '? Whence is it 
that, afiecting to believe, and lamenting and complain- 
ing of their condemnation, they abuse the means of 
salvation which God has given them f Either their 
complaints are unjust and dictated solely by their 
hatred of the Church, or then conduct is foolish. Why, 
we may say to them with St. Paul, why lose time in 
exainiuing what God will do with people who do not 
participate .in our belief? Occupy yourselves rather 
with uprooting the evil which is within you, and which 
may in the end lead to your everlasting ruin. Be 
persuaded that God will be sufiiciently good not to 
damn those who will have sincerely sought the trath. 



KO SALYATIOK OUT OF THE CHUECH. Ill 

in order to embrace it ; as He will be sufficiently just 
to punisb those wbo will have abused the lights and 
graces with which He has favored them. " Hail^ true 
Church ! ^^ cries out one who had for many years been 
in doubt as to the choice of a religion: ^^0 thou, 
who art alone the way that leads to life ! may my soul 
repose under the shadow of thy branches. Far from 
me be the temerity which would attempt to penetrate 
the depth of thy mysteries, and the impiety which 
would insult their obscurity. What the unbeliever 
reasons on, I admire ; what he disputes, I believe ; I 
see the height, but I cannot penetrate the depth of the 
mysteries which have been revealed to us.'^ 



Before her marriage with Charles of Austria, after- 
wards emperor, under the title of Charles VI, the 
princess Elizabeth Christina Wolfenbuttel felt it a duty, 
for the tranquillity of her conscience, to consult, concern- 
ing matters of religion, the Lutherans, whose form of belief 
she had till then professed. The Protestant doctors 
being assembled at Helmstadt, told her that a person 
could be saved in the Catholic communion, the Catholics 
not being in error as to the essentials of religion. The 
princess said, on learning their decision, ^^ This being 
so, there is no longer time for hesitation : to-morrow 
I will embrace the Catholic religion ; the securest course 
in a matter so important is always the wisest." The 
father of the princess adopted the same sentiments, and, 
like her, became a Catholic. — De Trevekn. 

Henry IV, of France, pressed by his friends to 
embrace the Catholic religion, inquired of the bishops, 
if a person could be saved in the Catholic Church. 
They, of course, replied, that assuredly one could be 
saved in it ,* and further, that out of its bosom there was 
no ordinary possibility of salvation. The king next 
addressed himself to the Protestant ministers, and de- 
manded whether salvation could be found in their reform, 
as in tlie Catholic Church. They replied, that salvation 
could be found in either. " Well, then," rejoined the 
monarch, ^^ the bishops gay that out of the Catholic 



112 DrTIES or A CHEISTIA2T. 

Cliurcli there is no salvation and you acknowledge 
that salvation is attainable therein : I, therefore, 
declare mvself a Catholic.'^ 



Exercises. — 1. Mention the truth which; in its ordinary 
acceptation, would alone be sufficient to prove that there is but 
one Church out of which there is salvation. — 2. Wliat should 
every religion^ that believes itself the true one, be able to sav ? — 
3. What has every religion pretended ? — 4. Why can we not say 
that all rehgions are good or false f — 5. Show us that there cau 
be but one religion. — 6. Which, of all these religions, should we 
acknowledge as the true one ? — 7. ^Miat important consequences 
spring from the above arguments ? — 8. Is it the Church that 
damns those who do not profess her doctrine or practise her 
morality ? — 9. Whence comes the ardent interest which the in- 
credulous seem to bear towards hifidels ? — 10. WTiat advice does 
St. Paul give these persons ? 



SECTION VI. 

Oftlie Commimion of Saints, 

All the faithful who compose the Catholic Ohnrch are 
united together, and form one body of which Jesus 
Christ is the head. The strict union of all the members 
of this body establishes between them a community of 
spiritual goods ; and this is what is miderstood by the 
Communion of Saints. 

The faithful are named saints, because they have 
been sanctified by baptism^ and are called to the 
profession and practice of holiness. The spiritual goods 
which are common among them, are the infinite graces 
which our Lord has merited for ns by his sufierings, the 
merits of the Blessed Yngin and of the saints, the 
sacraments, the prayers and other good works which 
are performed in the Church. All these spiritual goods 
form a treasure which belongs to the whole Church, and 
in which every one of the faitliful is entitled to partici- 
pate in proportion to his dispositions. Those who are 
in the state of grace participate fully in all the gifts and 
graces which fonn this treasure. This community of 
spiritual goods is a consequence of the imity of the 
Church. All the members of a familv labor for its 



THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 113 

profit, and share in its advantages. It is the same with 
the Church, whose members compose but one and the 
same family, one and the same body. St. Paul com- 
pares the Church to the human body, and no com- 
parison can more properly make us understand what is 
meant by the Communion of Saints. The body has 
many members, and each member its particular function ; 
but all these members together form only one body. 
They have all one and the same head, the same soul, the 
same life. The functions of the several members, their 
advantages, are for the good of the entire body; all 
concm^ to the same end, the preservation of that body ; 
— the eyes see, the ears hear, the hands perform, the 
feet walk, for the entire body: in a word, all the 
members conspire for the good of one another, and give 
to each, in its necessities, all the assistance of which 
they are capable. Just so in the Church, all the faithful 
are animated by the same spirit, under the same head, 
and are united together in their different actions. Each 
prays, labors, merits, for the entire body, and receives 
at the same time a share in the labors, virtues, and 
prayers, of the entire Church. St. Ambrose, explaining 
these words of the Psalmist, ^^ I am a partaker with all 
them that fear Thee," * observes : ^ ^ As we say that a 
member is partaker of the entire body, so are we par- 
takers with all that fear God." t But to profit of these 
advantages, we must be members of the Church : those 
who arQ separated from her by heresy, schism, or apo- 
stacy ; or those whom she has cast off from her bosom by 
excommunication, have no share in tlie spiritual advan- 
tages which the faithful possess, in virtue of the Com- 
munion of Saints. 

To enjoy fully all these spiritual goods, we must be 
living members of the Church ; that is, we must be in 
the state of grace. Sinners, in whom the Holy Ghost 
dwells not, are indeed members of the Chm'ch ; but they 
are dead members : and how can dead members pretend 
to the same advantages as those that are living? A 
dead arm, though it may remain united to the human 
Ps., cxvlii, 63. t S. Ambr., Serm. 8. 



* T^c. 



114 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIA]^^. 

bodjj cannot receive nourisliment, and is incapable of 
grow til, motion, or action. Sinners, however, derive 
much benefit from their union wdth the rest of the body ; 
and it is, of itself, a great advantage to be a member of 
this society, in w^hich alone are found truth, justice, 
charity, and salvation, and the means of attaining it. A 
sinner is dead; but so long as he remains united to the 
» body, he may again live, the prayers of the Chm'ch being 
continuallv offered to bes: for his return to life bv true 
repentance. The Catechism of the Council of Trent, 
treating on how far the Communion of Saints conduces 
to the advantage of those members of the Church who 
are bound in the fetters of sin, says, that though they 
are as ^^dead members, deprived of the vivifying principle 
which is communicated to the just and pious Christian; 
yet, being in the Church, they are assisted in recovering 
lost grace and life by those who are animated by the 
Spirit of G-od, and are in the enjoyment of those fruits 
which are, no doubt, denied to such as are entirely cut 
off from the communion of the Chmx-h.^^ 

The faithful who fomi the Church, are divided into 
three branches : — the CJmrch militant^ wliich is composed 
of those w^ho are still combating on earth against 
all the enemies of salvation ; the CJmrch triumpJmnt, 
consisting of all the blessed in Heaven ; and the 
Church stiffening, w^hich is composed of those who are 
yet expiating their sins, before their entrance into 
Heaven. The faithful who are on earth, are not only 
united among themselves, but are also united with 
the saints who triumph in Heaven, and with the souls 
w^ho are suffering in purgatory. We rejoice in the 
happiness of the saints ; w^e bless God for it ; and we 
pray to them to intercede for us ; the saints, on their 
side, love us as theii brethren, and pray to God in om' 
behalf. We offer prayers to God for the souls in pur- 
gatory ; we give alms, and perform other good works, 
that God, in his mercy, may mitigate their sufferings, or 
shorten thek duration. 



St. Fructuosus, a bishop of the third century, never 



. THE rOHGIYENESS OE SlifS. 115 

ceased to pray for the entire Oliurcli. When he was 
on the point of suffering martyrdom — having been con- 
demned to be burned alive for the faith — a Christian, 
who was present, took him by the hand, and said to 
him, " I beg of you to remember me before God/^ The 
holy martyr replied, ^^I ought to bear in mind the 
universal Catholic Church, extending from the east to 
the west.'' St. Poly carp prayed night and day for the 
Catholic Church, spread throughout the whole world. 
— Lasausse. 



Exercises. — 1. What loeans the Communion of Saints^. — 2» 
Why are the faithful styled saints'^. — 3. What are the spiritual 
goods common to all the faithful ? — 4. Of what is this community 
of spiritual goods the consequence? — 5. What must he done to enjoy 
fully all these spiritual goods ? — 6. Do sinners derive any advan- 
tage from their union with the hody of the Church ? — 1. Into 
how many branches is the Church divided ? — 8. How are the 
saints, the souls in purgatory, and the faithful, united? 



CHAPTER XI. 

AKTTCLE 10 "the rORGIYEOTESS OP SINS.'' 

In the Catholic Church alone can the remission of 
sins be found. God grants this grace to those only who 
become his children. By baptism we receive the re- 
mission of original sin ; but as it too commonly happens 
that we lose our baptismal innocence, Jesus Christ in- 
stituted a sacrament which remits the sins committed 
after baptism. This sacrament is csiUed penance, God 
is always disposed to pardon us, provided we receive 
the sacrament with the necessary dispositions ; and 
there is no sin, however heinous, but may be effaced by 
this means. Though we may have committed the 
most grievous crimes, though their number may exceed 
the very hairs of our head, we can obtain their remission 
by the sacrament of penance. It is not on account 
of om own merits that this pardon is granted us ; it is 
through tlie infinite merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The promise of remitting our sins, which God has 



116 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN.- 

given, is a pure effect of his mercy ^ and this promise 
is the only resource of sinners — the sole motive of their 
confidence. It is God alone who can remit sinsj so, 
when the priests pronounce the sentence of absolution, 
it is God alone, who, by their ministry, pardons the sins 
from which they absolve. We cannot entertain the 
least doubt that Jesus Christ has granted this power 
to his Church. "Receive ye the Holy Ghost,'^ said 
he to his apostles ; " whose sins you shall forgive, they 
are forgiven them ; and whose sins you shall retain, they 
are retained." * We would feel the full value of this 
favor, if we could comprehend the misery of a person 
who, after having offended God, could not again recover 
his grace, and who would be obliged to bear the weight 
of his iniquities, and see himself incessantly dragged 
by time towards the fatal term of his reprobation. 

We should take great care, however, not to abuse the 
mercy of God, nor take occasion from it to sin more 
freely. Ah ! shall we continue to offend him, because 
He is disposed to pardon us ? shall we be wicked be- 
cause He is good ? Let us not deceive ourselves 5 this 
abuse of the mercy of God is one of the crimes which 
irritate him the most ; and God, who always pardons 
those who approach him with an humble and- contrite 
heart in the sacrament of reconciliation, is not bound 
to give the sinner time to have recourse to it. How 
many persons has death surprised in the state of sin ! 
Can we say that we shall not be surprised like them ? 

A servant, having returned from catechism, was 
asked by his master what he had learned. He replied, 
in extreme grief, "I have learned that I shall be 
damned." " Damned ! " exclaimed his master ,• — " why 
so?" "Because," he replied, "I should have a 
greater sorrow for my sins than for any other thing 
whatever. Now, I know that I felt more sorrow for 
the death of my father than I do for my sins." The 
master told him that, in all probability, he misunderstood 
the catechist ] and then explained to him the doctrine 
* John, XX, 22, 23. 



THE EESUKHECTION OP THE BODY. 117 

of tlie Church on true contrition. ^^ Do you not perceive/' 
said he^ ^^ that sorrow for our sins is of a nature 
altogether different from that which is experienced on 
the death of a parent f The first is a hatred and detesta- 
tion of the evil committed 5 the second, an effect of the 
natural tenderness towards their parents, which exists 
in the hearts of children. Do you detest your sins ? 
Are you resolved rather to die than commit those sins 
again ? If you really have these sentiments, you have 
the sorrow which is required : you have true contrition.'^ 
At these words, the poor man recovered his peace j he 
thanked his master sincerely for having drawn him 
from an error which might have led him into despair. 
— L^Abb:^ Salvatori. 



Exercises. — 1. Which is the only Church that has the power to 
remit sin? — 2. By what means are sins remitted? — 3. Can all 
sins be remitted by baptism and penance ? — 4. When did our 
divine Lord leave to his Church the power of remitting sin ? — 
5. What thought will enable us to comprehend the value of this 
favor ?^-6. With what sentiments should so great a benefit 
inspire us ? 



CHAPTE^R XII. 

ARTICLE 11. "the RESTJERECTIOK OF THE BODY.'' 

It is an article of faith that our bodies shall one day 
rise again. All men shall die, but they shall rise again 
with the same bodies which they had in this life. 
These bodies shall experience corruption, and shall be 
reduced to dust j but whatever changes they shall have 
undergone, they shall one day rise and be reanimated 
by their souls. Human life is but a dream, and death 
no more than a short sleep ; but the resurrection will 
be the beginning of an everlasting life. There is no 
truth more clearly established in the Holy Scriptures, 
none more firmly supported by the constant belief of 
all ages, than this. Job, .speaking of it, says: "I 
know that my Hedeemer liveth, and in the last day I 
shall rise out of the earth and in my flesh shall 



118 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAJT. 

see my God ; whom I myself shall see^ and my eyes 
shall behold, and not another : tliis my hope is laid up 
in my bosom.'' * In the New Testament this truth is 
still more clearly revealed. '' The hour cometh/' says 
our Redeemer, '' wherein all that are in the grave shall 
hear the voice of the Son of God. And they that have 
done good things shall come forth unto the resurrection 
of hfe ] but they that have done evil unto the resuiTcction 
of judgment." t And St. Paul says, ^^ In a moment, 
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet : for the 
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise again 
incorruptible. ''t This resurrection will be general: 
all, the great and the little, the just and the impious, 
those who are now upon the earth, those who shall 
come after us, all shall die, — as well as those who have 
gone before us from the beginning of the world, — and 
shall rise again with the same bodies which they had 
in this life. It is God himself, who, by his Almighty 
power, will perform this prodigy. As He has drawn all 
things from nothing by his will alone, in the same way 
He will easily reassemble our scattered members, and 
unite them to our souls. It is not more difficult for the 
Almighty to give life to ofir inanimate bodies, than it 
was for him to create them in the beginning. We have, 
every year, before our eyes, an image of this resurrec- 
tion. Are not the plants, as it were, dead during the 
winter, and do they not appear to rise up again in 
spring ? Do not the seeds which are sown in the earth 
rot, and, in a manner, die in order to spring up after- 
wards with greater beauty ? It is the same with our 
bodies : they are a kind of seed, which are put into the 
earth, and which will come forth again full of life. 
The bodies of the just will no longer be gross, heavy, 
and corruptible, as they are at present ; they will be 
brilliant as the sun, exempt from every pain and incon- 
venience, full of strength and agility, as was the body 
of our Lord after his resurrection. The just, who are 
his children, sanctified by his grace, united and incor- 
porated with him by faith, "will rise like him. Jesus 
* Job, xix, 25-27. t John, v, 28, 29. X Cor., xv, 25. 



THE EESTJRRECTION OF THE BODY. 119 

Christ will transform their corruptible bodies, and 
make them like unto his own glorious and impassible 
body. 

As the body shares, here below, in the good or evil 
which the soul performs, so shall it, hereafter, be a 
participator in the souPs happiness or misery. Sinners 
shall rise, but their bodies will not be glorified j they 
shall rise, but only to be consigned, body and soul, to 
torments, inconceivable in their extent and eternal in 
their duration. " The vv^hole multitude that sleep in the 
dust of the tomb, shall awaken 5 some to eternal life ; 
others to endless misery and opprobrium.'^ 

What a spectacle will then be presented to our eyes ! 
What sentiments will be excited in our hearts, when we 
shall hear the sound of the last trumpet ; when this 
terrible voice shall be heard throughout the earth: 
" Arise ye dead, and come to judgment ! " when we 
shall see all men reappear, and when there will be no 
other distinction between them but that which their 
works shall have made ! St. Jerome, in his desert, 
imagined continually that he heard the sound of the 
last trumpet, and his soul was greatly terrified. We 
have much more reason to fear than he, aiid yet how 
tranquilly we live ! To the just, the future resur- 
rection of the body is a subject of hope and consolation ; 
to the wicked, of alarm and consternation. 



In the reign of Antioohus, the seven Machabees, to- 
gether with their mother, suffered courageously the 
most cruel torments, rather than violate the law of the 
Lord, because they had a lively hope in a future resur- 
rection. The first had his tongue cut out^ and the skin 
of his head drawn off ; and when he was maimed 
in all parts, being still alive, he was brought to the fire, 
and fried in a frying-pan. The second being about 
to expire, said to the king : ^^ Thou, indeed, most 
wicked man, destroyest us out of this present life, but 
the King of the world will raise us up in tlie resurrection 
of eternal life.'' The third said with conlidence : " These 
members I have received from heaven, but for the law 



120 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIA]^. 

of God I now despise tliem, because I hope to receive 
them again from Him/^ The fourth said : ^^It is better, 
being put to death by men, to look for hope from God, 
to be raised up again by Him.'^ The other showed 
equal courage and intrepidity. The youngest, however, 
still remained, and Antiochus endeavored to overcome his 
constancy by caresses and the promise of reward. 
Seeing that he could not prevail, he called his mother, 
and counselled her to use her influence with her son to 
save his life j but this generous heroine, addressing 
her son, said : ^' Look upon heaven and earth, and all 
that is in them ; consider that God made them out of 
nothing, and mankind also ; so shalt thou not fear this 
tormentor, but being made a worthy partner with thy 
brethren, receive death, that I may receive thee again 
with thern.'^ Antiochus, enraged, vented all his fury 
on the youth : the admirable mother, herself, was the 
next victim of his cruelty. — 2 Machabees, ch. vii. 

Exercises. — 1. Will our bodies rise again ? — 2. Repeat the 
passages of Scripture which clearly establish the dogma of the 
resurrection ? — 3. How will the resurrection of the body take 
place ? — 4. Does nature afford us an image of the resurrection ? 
— 5. In what state will the just rise ? — 6. The sinners ? — 7. What 
effect should the thought of the resurrection produce in us ? 



CHAPTER XIII. 

ARTICLE 12. — " LIFE EVERLASTrSTG/' 

Our souls being in their nature immortal, will, on 
their separation from our bodies, pass from this life to 
another ; from this visible world to a world that is in- 
visible. The pagans themselves believed in the ex- 
istence of a future life, in which men would be rewarded 
or punished according to their deserts. The expectation 
of a future life is, then, the doctrine of the human race 
— ^the belief of natm^e. There is another life after this, 
and that life shall never end. We shall be eternally 
happy or eternally miserable, and our happiness or 



OF PURGATOEY. 121 

misery will depend on the state of our souls at the mo- 
ment of our departure hence. As the soul may be stained 
with many venial faults which, for a time, exclude 
from heaven, but deserve not the punishment of hell, 
there is a third place, called purgatory^ where must 
remain, until purified, those souls which are sullied 
with venial transgressions, or which have not fully 
satisfied the Divine Justice for the debt of temporal 
punishment, ordinarily remaining due after mortal sin 
has been remitted in the sacrament of penance. 

St. Bernard left his paterDal home, to lead with his 
brothers a life of solitude, and to devote himself exclu- 
sively to the service of God. Parting with his little 
brother Mvard, he said to him : ^' Farewell, Nivard ! 
henceforth the estates are yours : we are going to enter 
into religion." '' Ah ! " said the pious and thoughtful 
child, '' you take heaven for your portion,, and leave me 
the earth for mine j assuredly the division is unequal." 
Sensible of the value of the happiness they had pur- 
chased, he soon after resigned his estates, and followed 
his brothers to religion. — Butler^s Lives oe the 
Saij^tts. 



Exercises. — 1. What becomes of the soul on its separation 
from the body ? — 2. Has the dogma of a future life been known 
only to Christians ? — 3. Is it reasonable that there should be a 
place of expiation after this life ? 



SECTION L 

Of Purgatory; 

To enter heaven immediately after death, the soul 
must either have preserved its baptismal innocence, or 
recovered lost grace by penance; for nothing defiled 
can enter Heaven. St. John, in concluding his de- 
scription of the New Jerusalem (heaven), says, " There 
shall not enter into it anything defiled." * Human 
weakness is so great, that it is very difiicult for the 
* ApoC; xxi^ 27. 



122 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIA]^. 

soul to preserve itself so pure from the contagion of the 
world, as not to have to reproach itself at death with^ 
at least^ some venial faults ; hence^ the necessity of a 
place of expiation for these faults, as well as to supply 
the want of sufficient satisfaction for the temporal pun- 
ishment due to sins remitted in the sacrament of pen- 
ance. In the Old Law this trath was perfectly known : 
men instructed in religion were aware that souls were 
purified from venial sins by temporary punishment, 
before they could enter limbo, the place of repose in 
which the just awaited the coming of Jesus Christ, who 
was to conduct them to heaven. The courageous Judas 
Machabaeus sent money to Jerusalem, in order that 
prayers and sacrifices might be offered for those who 
were killed in battle ; knowing well, as he said, that 
^^ it is a holy and w^holesome thought to pray for the 
dead, that they may be loosed from sins.'^ * This truth 
has been clearly established by the decision of the 
Church, founded on the w^ords of Jesus Christ who 
says, that the sins against the Holy Ghost will not be 
forgiven in this world, nor in the world to come.t 
Although the Church has decided nothing as to the 
grievousness of the pains endared in purgatory, yet it 
is certain that they are proportionate to the greatness 
of the sanctity and majesty of Him who w^as offended 
by the sins they punish ; and that, consequently, they 
must be very great. Many of the Holy Fathers assure 
us that they differ from those of hell only in their 
duration, and in the patience with which they are 
borne. 

We can relieve the souls in purgatory ; and in con- 
formity with the spirit of the Church, we ought to do 
so. They are the predestined, the friends of Jesus 
Christ, who shall one day reigu with him in heaven, 
when they will, doubtless, indemnify us a hundred- 
fold for the sacrifices we may have made to comfort 
them, or to abridge their sufferings. They are our 
neighbors, parents, friends, or benefactors, who, from 
the depth of their prison, cry out to us in accents of 
* 2 Mac, xii; 46. t Matt., xii, 31. 



OF PURGATORY. 123 

supplication : ^^ Have pity on me, have pity on me, at 
least, you my friends!"* ^^My dear child," cries out, 
perhaps, a father or mother, from the midst of the flames 
in which they are enveloped, ^^ we suffer incompre- 
hensible pains in this place of sorrow ; have pity on us 
to whom you owe such great obligations ; to whom you 
owe your life and property ; attend to our supplications, 
and relieve us in our sufferings. The hearing of Mass, 
an alms, a prayer, the enduring of some privation, the 
sacrifice of some pleasure, may, if offered for us, deliver 
us from the torments we endure, and procure our 
admission into everlasting glory. Ah ! will you be 
insensible to our evils, or can you forget us in the day 
of our necessity ? can you revel in delights, whilst we 
are plunged in devouring fire ?" 

A stranger, an enemy even, would excite our pity if 
we saw him in this state, nor could we, for a moment, 
withhold from him our charitable assistance. In purga- 
tory, those who suffer are parents, brothers, sisters, 
friends, or souls whom their relations or friends have for- 
gotten ; and shall we, too, abandon them ? They cannot 
satisfy the justice of God, but by paying ^^ the last far- 
thing j " t they are prisoners, detained for debt in this 
place of punishment, whom we can release by satisfying 
for them. This we can do by means of prayer, fasting, 
alms, indulgences, communions, or by the most holy 
and adorable sacrifice of the Mass, which may either 
be offered or heard for them. 

Charity makes it a duty incumbent on us to relieve 
those holy souls : ^^ And as you would that men should 
do to you, do you also to them in like manner." { 
Interest imposes the same obligation : those holy souls, 
that we shall have released, will plead for us in heaven 
with ardor and efficacy, and will become our powerful 
protectors. Justice even requires that we aid the souls 
in purgatory, since many, either for having flattered our 
passions, or for having ofiended God on our account, 
may still be detained in this place of torments. 



• Job, xix, 21. t Matt., v, 20. t Luke, vi, 31. 



124 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAIf. 

St. Perpetua, St. FelicitaSj and other servants of 
God, having been arrested for the faith, were confined 
in a prison, in which St. Perpetua was favored with 
several visions. In the first, it was revealed to her, 
that she and her companions would all sufier martyrdom. 
In the second, she saw one of her brothers, who had 
been some time dead. It appeared to her as if this 
boy suffered horrible pains, and, above all, that he was 
tormented with a burning thirst : she imagined also, that 
there was near him a vessel filled with water, but 
which, notwithstanding repeated efforts, he could not 
possibly reach, so as to procure any relief. Under- 
staading by this vision that her brother was in purga- 
tory, the saint, together with her companions, offered 
fervent prayers for him • and, in some days after, they 
again saw him richly clad, and refreshing himself out 
of the vessel which stood in the plain. Thus our Lord 
was pleased to show the efficacy of prayers for the 
relief of the faithful departed. 



Exercises.— 1. That the soul may enter into eternal life 
immediately after death; what is requisite 1 — 2. To what are the 
souls condemned; who leave this world stained with venial 
faults ? — 3. What is purgatory ? — 4. Cite some passages from the 
Holy Scriptures which clearly establish the doctrine of purga- 
tory ? — 5. In what are the pains of purgatory inferior to those of 
hell ? — 6. What motives should excite us to relieve the souls in 
purgatory? — 7. By what means can we aid them? — 8. What 
^ advantages can we procure ourselves by praying for the souls in 
purgatory ? 



SECTION II. 

Of Heaven. 
Heaven is the kingdom of Grod's glory and magni- 
ficence ; the dwelling-place which He has prepared for 
his angels, and for men who have lived in his fear and 
died in his love ; but to give us an idea of the immense 
riches, the ineffable joys of paradise, it would be 
necessary that one of its blessed inhabitants should de- 
scend from Heaven to declare its wonders. St. Paul 



OF HEAYEK. 125 

tells us^ that ^^eye liath not seen, nor ear heard, 
neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what 
things God hath prepared for them that love Him.^^ * 
Imagine, if you can, the joy of a soul on its entrance 
into heaven. Oh ! what a delightful moment must 
that be, in which the miseries of this life terminate, 
and the happiness of eternity commences ! What delight, 
what joy, what transport, to see God, and to be assured 
of the happiness of possessing Him for all eternity ! 

What joy for a captive when he recovers his liberty, 
and is emancipated from the slavery to which he had 
long been consigned ! what joy for a captive, long 
immm-ed within the walls of a dismal prison, when, in 
the end, he enjoys the light of day ! what joy for the 
mariner, who has long been tossed on the stormy sea, in 
the midst of tempests and quicksands, in which he was 
in danger of perishing, to arrive safely at the destined 
port ! Weak imperfect images of the joy, the consolation, 
the happiness of a soul that, after the long captivity, 
the sorrowful exile, the protracted sufferings of this vale 
of tears, finds herseK in the happy port of salvation — 
the region of the living, to dwell forever in the bosom 
of God, the Author of her being, the Term of her desires, 
the Centre of her repose, without fear of ever losing 
Him, and assured of ever participating in that happiness 
which He himself enjoys. 

But it is not sufficient to know the happiness of 
heaven ; we must endeavor to merit its possession by 
the practice of good works. " Narrow is the gate," f 
says Jesus Christ : let us then make every effort to 
enter by it. How great soever these efforts may be, 
they are nothing when compared with so great a 
good. 

What! we have not the courage to do a little 
violence to ourselves, to deprive ourselves of some 
gratifications, to overcome human respect, in order to 
merit so great a happiness ! Where is our faith ? where 
is our reason ? Men sacrifice, every day, their repose, 
thek health, for the acquisition of a little honor ; they 
* 1 Cor., ii, 9. t Matt., vii, 14. 



126 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

labor aU their lives for a little wealthy which they know 
they must quit in dying ; and for heaven, which they 
are always to possess, they ^ill do nothing. " An 
eternity of labor would not be too much," says St. 
Augustine, '^ to procm^e an eternity of happiness ] and 
yet we cannot afford it the labor of a single moment ! " 
A few short prayers, morning and evening, alarm us 5 
confession tenifies us ) the sanctification of the Sunday 
we sacrifice to human respect ) the abstinences of the 
Church, to sensuality; our duties, to the love of 
pleasure : — and yet we pretend to be associated with 
martyrs, those men of vutue, those heroes of religion ! 
Heaven is a recompense, — we must then labor to gain 
it ; it is a crown, — we must fight to obtain it ; it is a con- 
quest, — we must do violence to ourselves to merit it ; those 
who know how to overcome themselves, are the heroes 
who bear it away. Heaven is the dwelling-place of 
sanctity; its gates are open only to innocence or 
penance. If we occupy om'selves with the vanities, the 
goods, and pleasures of this life, we are neither innocent 
nor penitent; we are, consequently, unworthy of 
admission into heaven. 

Ah ! how consoling it is to the virtuous Christian to 
know that all he does for God will be abundantly recom- 
pensed ; that a drop of cold water given in his name, a 
sigh which escapes the heart, will not be lost before 
this good Master. With what constancy does he not 
support the trials of this life ! The losses and disgraces 
which so frequently lead the impious to despau', become 
for the just a subject of merit, by the resignation with 
which they receive them, and the hope of being recom- 
pensed in heaven, which they regard as their permanent 
dwelling-place. Thither they send daily the treasure 
of their good works ; it is for heaven they labor, for 
heaven they adorn their souls. 

If we knew the happiness that awaits us in heaven, 
and how much a soul can glorify the Lord, not only 
would we labor with ardor for our own salvation, but we 
would do all in our power to procure the salvation of 
others, particularly that of our relations and friends. 



or HEAYEK. 127 

This would be the true means of testifying our love to 
them. We can do nothing more advantageous to our 
neighbor, nor more glorious to God 5 for ^' he," says St. 
CInysostom, '^ who macerates his body by austerity, 
merits less than he who gains a soul to God 5 it is a far 
greater thing to save our brethren than to work 
miracles.'^ What but zeal foi?^ salvation of souls has in- 
duced so many apostolic men to quit then- country, their 
relations, their friends, and, at the risk of their lives, to 
cross the seas to convert infidels, or baptize children in 
danger of death ? ^^ He," says St. James, " who causeth 
a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall 
save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of 
sins." * 



Mr. Boursoul discharged at Rennes, during forty 
years, the functions of the sacred ministry. He bore, 
without interruption or relaxation, the fatigues of the 
pulpit and the painful labors of the confessional. He 
wished, he used to say, to die with arms in his hands ; 
that is, in the discharge of his duty. " Ah ! if I were 
worthy to obtain this favor of my God ! I every day beg 
of Him that I may close my life either in announcing 
his Gospel from the chair of truth, or in exercising, in 
the sacred tribunal, the rights of justice and of mercy." 
A prayer dictated by such heroic motives of ardent 
charity, merited to be heard. On Easter Monday, 1774, 
Father Boursoul said Mass at five o^clock in the morning, 
and then went to liis confessional. About two o'clock 
he went to the Church of All-Saints, where, notwith- 
standing his age and infirmities, he had preached during 
Lent, and at three he ascended the pulpit, to preach on 
the glory and happiness of the saints. In his manner, 
he had all the vigor and energy of youth ; his voice 
possessed more than ordinary distinctness ; and his 
gesture and the expression of his countenance were such 
as, beforehand, to indicate w4iat he was going to utter. 
Towards the conclusion of the first part of the discourse, 
after a most lively and affecting description of the 
* James, v, 20, 



128 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

beauties of paradise, and of tlie joys of the blessed, lie 
made a new effort, and cried out : ^^ No, my brethren, 
never will it be given to the weak eyes of man to sustain 
here below the splendor of the Divine Majesty ; '^ then 
lowering a little his voice, ^^ It is in heaven that we shall 
see Him face to face, and without veil.^^ These words 
were pronounced in a distinct tone, after which he said 
again in Latin, " Yidebimus eum sicuii est^^ and leaning 
forward on the front of the pulpit, he calmly expired. 
His eyes were fixed on heaven, and he continued in this 
position. The church was filled with an extraordinary 
concourse of people, and the consternation became 
general : some screamed ; others wept ; others fainted 5 
others cried aloud, " He is a saint ! he died while speak- 
ing of the happiness of heaven ! '^ The voice of a child 
was distinctly heard pronouncing these words : "He was 
speaking of paradise, and he has gone to take possession 
of it ! '' — Oarro^t. 

Exercises. — 1. What is heaven ? — ^2. Can man comprehend 
the happiness that God reserves for him in heaven % — 3. What 
must we do to merit this happiness ? — 4. With what sentiments 
should the thought of heaven inspire us ? — 5. What would be 
the result if we knew the happiness that awaits us in heaven % 



SECTION III. 

Of HeK 

Hell is a place of torments, in which sinners shall be 
punished with the devils for all eternity. This, like all 
the other articles of our faith, has been revealed by .God. 
Jesus Christ speaks in the Gospel of a " furnace of 
fire;''^ of a place of punishment in which "there shall 
be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'^t Those who 
doubt the certainty of a hell, and, under this pretext, 
follow their sinful inclinations, are either blind or cor- 
rupt : they risk an eternity of punishment for the pleasure 
of a moment. 

* Matt., xiii; 42. tMatt., xxv, 30 



OF HELL. 129 

There are two kinds of pain suffered in hell; the 
pain of loss, and the pain of sense. The pain of loss 
consists in the privation of the vision of God ; the pain 
of sense consists in suffering the most excruciating tor 
ments, without the least comfort or relaxation. The 
holy Scriptures describe these torments in the most 
energetic terms. A fire shall devour the reprobate : 
the worm that gnaws them shall never die, and the fire 
which devours them shall never be extinguished. This 
fire will torment the corporal senses, which have served 
as the instruments of sin, as well as the intellectual 
faculties, from which the guilt proceeded. It will 
devour, without destroying them. All the damned are 
deprived of the sight of God, and suffer in proportion to 
the number and grievousness of their offences. They 
shall suffer eternally, in body and soul, the most exquisite 
torments ; and shall be agonized by despair, and desti- 
, tute of the slightest consolation. That these pains 
are eternal, is an article of faith founded upon the holy 
Scriptures. The prophet Isaias tells us, that "their 
worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be 
quenched.'^ * The wicked, we are assured in St. 
Matthew, " shall go into everlasting punishment.'^ t 

But is not God too merciful to punish with eternal 
misery sins "which have been committed in a moment ^ 
The mercy of God is, indeed, infinite ; but his mercy is 
not contrary to his justice, and that justice requires that 
the impenitent sinner shall be punished eternally : nor 
is this wonderful. The sin of him who dies impenitent 
is, on account of his disposition, in some manner eternal, 
and, therefore, deserves eternal punishment. Mortal sin 
destroys, as far as it is capable, an infinite and eternal 
good, and ought, therefore, to be punished by sufferings 
infinite and eternal in their duration, as man, being 
finite, is incapable of suffering a punishment infinite in 
its nature. Human justice itself often punishes a single 
crime with a chastisement eternal in its own way — per- 
petual banishment, for example ; so that if the criminal 
did not die, his exile from his country would be per- 
*" Isa., Ixvi, 24. t Matt., xxv, 46. 



130 DUTIES OE A CHRISTIAl^. 

petual. Why, then^ should not the Divine Justice 
banish for ever from the heavenly country the impenitent 
sinner, who excludes himself from its possession, by 
voluntarily dying in enmity with God? 

Be not, then, deceived, but form, from this moment, 
a firm resolution of avoiding sin in future, since it would 
ine^dtably lead to your eternal ruin : do not expose 
yourseK to this greatest misfortune; rather sacrifice 
all your worldly interests : '' For what doth it profit a 
man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of 
his own soul ? or what exchange shall a man give for 
his soul r^* 



Some young persons of immoral lives, conversing 
with a religious of a most austere order, bantered him 
on his mortified manner of living, and concluded by 
saying, '^Indeed, father, you shall be very much taken 
in, if there be no heaven.^^ "And you, my children, 
much more, if there is a hell,'^ replied the religious, 
"and the word of God assures us that there is." 

The Gospel tells us of the rich glutton that, "lifting 
up his eyes, when he was in torments, saw Abraham 
afar ofi", and Lazarus in his bosom ; and he cried and 
said : Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send 
Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, 
to cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. 
And Abraham said to him : Son, remember that thou 
didst receive good things in thy life-time, and likewise 
Lazarus evil things , but now he is comforted, and thou 
art tormented." t 



Exercises.— 1. What is hell ?— 2. How many kinds of pain 
are suffered in hell, and in what do they consist ? — 3. Shall the 
pains of the reprobate last for all eternity? — 4. How should 
those persons be answered who say that God is too merciful to 
punish with eternal misery sins they have been committed in a 
moment ? — 5. What salutary effect should the thought of hell 
produce in us ? 



''Matt., xvi, 26. tLuke, xvi, 23-25. 



SIGK OF THE CEOSS. 131 

CHAPTEE XIV. 

Tlie Profession of our Faith, and the Sign of the 

Cross, 

To make profession of our faith is one of our most 
essential duties ] for Jesus Christ will refuse to acknow- 
ledge as diseiples, those who will have been ashamed 
to belong to him, or to make open profession of their 
belief in him. '' He/^ says Christ, " that shall deny me 
before men, I will also deny him before my Father 
who is in Heaven." * One of the means of showing 
that we are Christians, and that we consider ourselves 
honored in being such, is to make religiously the sign 
of the Cross. There are two ways in which the sign 
of the Cross is made : first, by signing with the thumb 
the forehead, lips, and breast, as is done by the priest 
before reading the Gospels at Mass, and which the 
faithful ought to do in like manner. We sign the fore- 
head, to show that we are not ashamed of being 
Christians, nor of performing the works of a Christian j 
the mouth, to declare that we are ready to profess our 
belief in God and in his Son Jesus Christ ; the breast, 
to express our love for the Cross of Jesus Christ, and 
that we believe firmly what we profess with our lips. 

The second manner of making the sign of the Cross 
is by putting the right hand to the forehead, then under 
the breast, then to the left and the right shoulder; 
saying : In the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 

In making the sign of the Cross, we profess our 
belief in the Unity of God by the word ^^ name " (not 
names) ; and we profess our belief in the Trinity by 
naming the three divine persons, the Father, the Son, 
and the Holy Ghost. We profess om' belief in tho 
Incarnation of the Son of God, and of our redemption 
through him, by marking ourselves with the figure of 
that Cross on which he bled for the salvation of man- 
kind ; and in the mystery of grace, by moving the 
hand from the left, the figm-e of sin, to the light, the 
* Matt., X, 33. 



132 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

figure of the grac6 wliicli our Lord Jesus Christ has 
merited for us. 

These words, In the name of the Father ^ &:c., signify, 
moreover, ^^ I do this action to honor, please, and obey 
the Most Holy Trinity. I wish to render the three 
divine Persons all the homage in my power j I do this 
action by the help of the Most Holy Trinity, acknow- 
ledging that I can do nothing but by the power w^hich 
the Father communicates to me, by the grace which 
the Son has purchased for me, and by the light which 
the Holy Ghost imparts to me.'^ 

We should, then, 'be careful to make the sign of the 
Cross morning and evening, before and after meals, at 
the beginning and end of our prayers, at the commence- 
ment of every principal action, but always with respect, 
and with attention to its meaning : this would be a sure 
means of drawing down upon ourselves and our under- 
takings the blessing of the Almighty. We should also 
make it, at least on our hearts, in every clanger of soul 
or body. 



A young person was ashamed to make the sign of 
the Cross in fche presence of a stranger, before an action, 
at the commencement of which it was usual for him to 
make it. One who was witness of his cowardice and of 
his little love for Jesus Christ, thus addressed him : 
'' Our Blessed Lord did not blush to die on a Cross to 
redeem you, and yet you blush to form upon yourseK 
the august sign of your redemption ! I trust," he added, 
^^ that henceforth you ^dll make it your glory to belong 
to your adorable Master ; and m.ay the Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost, bless you, through the merits of the passion 
and death of our Lord Jesus Christ ! " — Lasausse. 



Exercises. — 1. Is it essential that we make open profession 
of our faith ? — 2. How can we make this profession briefly ? — 3. 
Whj; during Holy Mass, do we make the sign of the Cross on 
the forehead, mouth, and breast ? — 4. In what mysteries do we 
profess our belief when we make the sign of the Cross ? — 5. 
With what thoughts should the sign of the Cross inspire us? — 
6. When should we make the sign of tlie Cross ? 



PART SECONI>. 

OF THE LOYE OF GOD AW OF OUR NEIGHBOR. 



CHAPTER I. 

Of the Commandments in general, 

God had, from the very beginning, engraved Ms Law 
on the heart of man ; but, as its impression was gradu- 
ally efiaced, He determined on publishing it in a 
solemn manner, in the presence of the Hebrews, whom 
He had chosen as his special people. For this purpose, 
fifty days after thek departure from Egypt, He called 
Moses, whom he had chosen as the leader of his 
people, to the top of Mount Sinai, where he made 
known to him his design of contracting with them an 
eternal alliance. Moses, having assembled the chiefs 
of the nation, announced to them the orders of the 
Lord, and desired them to communicate the same to 
the people. The people, on hearing the order of God, 
replied with one voice, ^^ All that the Lord hath spoken, 
we will do.'' *' Three days after, early in the morning, 
a dark cloud was seen overhanging the summit of the 
mountain, thunders were heard to roar, lightning flashed, 
and a sound, like that of many trumpets, was heard, 
which gradually became louder and louder. The 
people, terrified, took refuge in their tents, but Moses 
commanded them to advance to the boundary, which, 
by God's order, he had marked out for them at the foot 
of the mountain. In the midst of this terrible mani- 
festation of Almighty power, the voice of God was 
distinctly heard pronouncing the Ten Commandments : 
" I am the Lord thy God^^ &;c. t 

The Ten Commandments were afterwards wi'itten on 
two tables of stone ; and thus the Lord, having made 
^ Exodus, xix, 8. t Ibid., xx, 2. 



134 DUTIES or A CHUISTIAlJr. 

himself known, and having asserted his right to com- 
mand us, published his Law and ordained its observance. 
This Law is given to us as •well as to the Israelites ; it 
is the Law of nature ; the Law of all nations ; the duties 
which it enforces are the duties of all men, the fulfil- 
ment or neglect of which will decide their eternal 
destiny. The first three precepts of the Decalogue 
prescribe to us our duties to God j and the other seven, 
our duties towards our neighbor : thus, the love of God 
and our neighbor is the abridgment of the Law. 



A venerable man, seeing liimseK surrounded by a 
number of children, who pressed upon him, eager to 
receive instruction, spoke to them of the happiness of 
serving God, and of the great advantages they would 
derive from fidelity to his commandments. " My dear 
children," said he, "observe with what punctuality 
earthly monarchs oblige their subjects to obey their 
ordinances, and reflect that the Almighty, who is the 
King of kings, will not suiier any one to violate his 
commandments with impunity. Dming my long life 
I have ever remarked six things : — 

1. That those who do not fear God are always 
unhappy : 

2. That those who work on Sundays never become 
rich : 

3. That goods dishonestly acquired are quickly 
squandered : 

4. That almsdeeds never impoverish : 

5. That morning and evening prayers never retard 
one's business : 

6. That a vicious and disobedient child is sm-e to be 
unhappy." — Little Souvei^^iPw 

Exercises. — 1. Why did God determine on publishing his 
Law in a solemn manner ? — 2. Where and how was the Law 
promulgated? — 3. Recite the Ten Commandments which were 
given to the Jews . — 4. Were the Commandments given to the 
Israelites only ? — 5. What do the two parts^ into which the 
Commandments are divided^ prescribe ? 



or i^AiTH. 135 

CHAPTEE II. 

OF THE FIRST COMMAKDMEl^^T. 

"I AM THE LORD THY GOD ^ THOU SHALT NOT 
HA YE STRAJS^GE GODS BEFORE ME.^' * 

The First Commandment obliges us to believe in 
God, to hope in him, to love him with our whole heart, 
and to adore but him alone. 



SECTION L 

Of Faith. 

Faith is a supernatural and theological virtue, by 
which we firmly believe all the truths which the Church 
teaches, because God, who cannot deceive nor be 
deceived, has been pleased to reveal them. These 
truths are contained in the holy Scriptures and 
tradition. The Scriptures are the sacred books which 
have been written by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, 
and are called the Old and the New Testament. . By 
tradition is meant that portion of the word of God which 
has not been written by those to whom God revealed it, 
but has descended to us through every succeeding age 
by the teaching of the apostles and of their lawful 
successors. The Church, to whom the sacred deposit 
of scripture and tradition has been . confided, deter- 
mines their true interpretation, which she proposes to 
the faithful, with an infallible judgment and sovereign 
authority. God himself has given her this power, 
promising to preserve her from all error, and to assist 
her in her teaching, to the consummation of the worhl : 
^^ Behold I am with you all days, even to the consum- 
mation of the world.'^ t We must, then, believe, with- 
out doubt or hesitation, all that the Church teaches, 
for there is no salvation to be hoped for by him who 
does not believe her doctrines. '' He that believeth 
and is baptized," says om' Blessed Redeemer, ^^ shall 
"^ ExoduS; XX, 2, 3. t Matt., xxviii, 20. 



136 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

be saved : but lie that believeth not, shall be con- 
demned." ^ 

Faith, then, is absolutely necessary for our justifica- 
tion and salvation. This virtue honors God, and 
renders him homage as the Sovereign and Infallible 
Truth. It is, as St. Paul assures us, a sacrifice which 
we make to Him, by submitting our judgment to his 
infallible word, and silencing our objections and 
prejudices, to believe, without any shadow of doubt, on 
the authority of his divine word, things which our 
senses canuot perceive, nor our understanding compre- 
hend. We should frequently make acts of Faith upon 
the truths of our holy religion, that we may thus testify to 
God our humble submission to the doctrine which He 
has revealed. 

The submission which ^v^e owe to the word of God, 
and to the teaching of his Church, will appear per- 
fectly reasonable when we consider that we every day 
believe, on the testimony of men, many things which 
we have never seen ,* and others, which though per- 
ceptible to the senses, we cannot comprehend. 

The word of that God, who can neither deceive nor 
be deceived, merits infinitely more credit than the 
testimony of man, or than that of our own senses and 
judgment, which, being limited in their nature, are 
liable to eiT. 

Nothing can be more reasonable than to believe, on 
the authority of God, things which we do not compre- 
hend : we believe, then, because God has revealed, for 
faith is founded, not on our own weak conceptions, but 
on God's infallible word. The mysteries of religion 
can be known only by revelation. God has revealed 
them, and has established on earth an infallible author- 
ity to propose them to us. As He has called all men 
to the knowledge of the truth. He has furnished them 
with the means of knowing it, suited to the capacities 
of all. To be a Christian, nothing is wanted but 
docility; and this docility is not a blind and stupid 
credulity, but an enlightened submission, founded upon 
* Mark, xvi, 16. 



OF FAITH. 137 

the strongest motives^ and those most capable of deter- 
mining a reasonable man. Public facts, stupendous 
miracles, are the incontestable proofs which establish 
the truth of religion. 

" Jesus Christ/^ says St. Augustine, " requires faith 
from men ^ but before requiring it, he proved himself 
entitled to it by miracles." This is the proof to which 
he himself referred the Jews when he said : '' The works 
that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony 
of me. If I do not the works of my Father, believe me 
not. But if I do, though you will not believe me, 
believe the works."* Miracles are, then, the evidences 
of truth ^ and we cannot, without impiety, reject a 
doctrine which they have confirmed. It would be the 
height of absurdity, nay, impiety, to suppose that God 
would employ his almighty power to authorize a false- 
hood. 

We must believe all that the Church, '' the pillar 
and ground of the truth," t teaches ] to reject a single 
article, would be to deny her authority. We would 
sin against faith if we wilfully doubted any one of the 
truths which she proposes to us, and we would expose 
ourselves to the danger of falling into this sin, were we 
to read heretical or infidel books ] for, — ^^ he that loveth • 
danger, shall perish in it." J We would also sin 
against Faith if, through fear of men, or any other 
motive, we renounced it externally or by word of mouth, 
although, at the same time, believing it in our own 
heart. " With the heart," says St. Paul, " we believe 
unto justice ; but, with the mouth, confession is made 
unto salvation." § The martyrs preferred the most 
unheard-of cruelties, and even death itself, rather than 
dissemble their belief before the tyrants by whom they 
were persecuted. 

We would sin also against this virtue, by neglecting 
to be instructed in those truths of religion, the know- 
ledge of which is necessary to salvation. By this 
criminal neglect, several Christians live in ignorance of 

* John, X, 25, 37, 38. t 1 Tim., iii, 15. 

X Eccles., ill, 27. { Rom., x, 10. 



138 DUTIES OE A CHKISTIAN. 

what they are "bound to know, and, thereby, cominit 
numberless sins wliicli they do not perceive. 

We distinguish many kinds of faith; namely, 
Jiuman^ or natural faith, by which we believe on the 
authority of man ; divine, or supernatural faith, by 
which we believe on the authority of God ; living, or 
practical faith, which is accompanied with charity and 
good works ; dead, or theoretic faith, which is deprived 
of them ; infused faith, which we receive in baptism ; 
acquired faith, which is an increase of di\dne light, 
obtained by the practice of virtue ; implicit faith, by 
which we believe generally all the truths the Church 
teaches ; and explicit faith, by which we must believe 
certain truths distinctly — such as the mystery of the 
Most Holy Trinity, the Incarnation and Redemption, 
the last four things, and what regards the Command- 
ments, Prayer, the Sacraments, &c. 



In a company in which, by the providence of God, a 
clergyman happened to be present, some young persons 
spoke with unbecoming levity of the truths of religion, 
and affected to disbelieve some of the articles which the 
'^ Church teaches. " Gentlemen," said the good father, 
you seem not to believe these things now, but I assm-e 
you, you shall one day believe them, if not in time, at 
leh^i m eternity, but it is melancholy to reflect, that 
your belief will then be like that of the devils, for 
they believe, and yet are, and shall forever be, in 
torments.". — ]5^Ieeaiilt. 



Exercises. — 1. What does the First Commandment require 
of as ?— 2. What is Faith ?— 3; Where are these truths to be found ? 
— 4. Is faith necessary for salvation ? — 5. How does St. Paul 
define this virtue ? — 6. Is the submission reasonable vrhich we 
owe to the word of God and the teaching of his Church ? — 7. 
How do persons sin against Faith ? — 8. WTaat do you mean by 
human faith, divine faith, Sec, &c. ? 



OF HOPE. 139 

SECTION 11. 
Of Hope. 

Hope IS a supernatural and theological virtue, by 
which we expect, with a firm confidence, from the 
goodness of God, the gifts which He has promised us. 

How ineffably great and precious are these gifts ! 
They are nothing less than '' the good things of the 
Lord in the land of the living,'^ * — the eternal possession 
of God himself. We, of ourselves, are incapable of 
meriting such a happiness ,• but God, who loves us, 
notwithstanding our misery and un worthiness, has 
promised all the graces necessary to obtain it. He has 
given us his only Son, that whoever believes in Him, 
may not perish, but have life everlasting. The sight 
of our miseries ought not to prevent us from hoping in 
God, and expecting the possession of the happiness 
which He has promised ,• his almighty power, to which 
nothing is impossible, his infinite mercy, the inex- 
haustible merits of Jesus Christ, the power of his grace, 
of his promises, the command which He has given us 
to hope in him, — these are the foundations of the Chris- 
tianas hope. After such assurances, we would do Him 
an injury not to hope in Him. As God desires to be 
believed when He speaks, so He desires also to be 
trusted when He promises; our confidence ought, then, 
to be absolute and persevering. Christian hope is not 
uncertain or wavering : it is a firm confidence, because 
it rests on an unshaken foundation. St. Paul compares 
it to a firm anchor, which retains the vessel in the midst 
of the tempest. This hope, when humble, sincere, and 
persevering, can never be confounded ] for God cannot 
fail in his promises. Heaven and earth shall pass 
away, but one word of the Lord shall not fail. We 
are then assured that, if we have confidence in God, 
He will grant us all that He has promised. " My 
children," says the Almighty, ^^ behold the generation 
of men ; and know ye, that no one hath hoped in the 
Lord, and hath been confounded."! 

* Psalm xxvi; 13. t Ecclus., ii, 11. 



140 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAIT. 

Cliristian hope is opposed by two vices, despair and 
presumption. We sin against Hope when we despair 
of salvation. Such was the sin of Cain, who after the 
murder of his brother said, '^ My iniquity is greater than 
that I may deserve pardon.'^* Despair is a most horrible 
crime in the sight of God, because it is an outrage 
against his goodness, which, of all his perfections. He 
loves most to manifest to men, and to which He is 
most desirous that they should render homage by con- 
fidence the most unbounded. ^^ Can a woman,^' says 
the Lord, ^' forget her infant, so as not to have pity on 
the son of her womb ? and if she should forget, yet will 
not I forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee in my 
hands." And again : '' If yom* sins be as scarlet, they 
shall be made white as snow ] and if they be as red as 
crimson, they shall be made white as wool." t There 
is no sin, however heinous, which our Lord has not 
expiated by his death, and the pardon of which he has 
not merited. From the height of his cross he announced 
to us, that all his blood is ours. This infinitely loving 
Father asks but the return of his prodigal child 5 our 
repentance will awaken his tenderness : however, we, 
on our part, should be careful not to abuse his patience 
and goodness by offending him with greater liberty, and 
persevering in our evil courses because He is so ready 
to show us mercy. 

A person sins against Hope when, presuming on the 
mercy of God or on his own strength, he defers his con- 
version. Such is the sin of those who form any erro- 
neous idea of the mercy of God, and believe that they 
can be saved without ceasing to offend Him, or who, 
promising themselves a long life, flatter themselves that 
it will be time enough to think of their conversion when 
the period of youth is past. How many have been 
deceived by this false confidence ! They reckoned on a 
fatm'e time for repentance, but this time was not granted 
them. We should avoid this illusion, and should not defer 
a single instant to give ourselves to God. We do not 
know how long we shall live ] but we do know that every 
* Gen., iv, 13. t Isaias, xlix, 15, 16 ; and i, 18. 



OF HOPE. 141 

hour may be the last of our lives. ^^ Say not : I have 
sinnedj and what harm hath befallen me 1 for the Most 
High is a patient rewarder. Be not without fear about 
sin forgiven, and add not sin upon sin ; and say not ; 
The merc}^ of the Lord is great, He will have mercy on 
the multitude of my sins , for mercy and wrath quickly 
come from Him, and his wrath looketh upon sinners. 
Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not 
from day to day ; for his wrath shall come on a sudden, 
and in the time of vengeance He will destroy thee.'^ * 
It is true that a sinner, the penitent thief, was converted 
in his last moments ; but this was a miracle effected at 
the death of Jesus Christ, and woe to him whose salva- 
tion depends upon a miracle ! ^^ There was one/^ said an 
ancient father, '^ that none might despair ; there was but 
one J that none might presume.'^ 

We also sin against Hope by not having due sub- 
mission to the dispensations, of Providence in om- 
temporal concerns, by murmuring against God, and be- 
lieving ourselves miserable when we meet with losses or 
afflictions, and by impatiently wishing for death. Ah ! 
since we have so good a Father, who never permits any 
cross or affliction to befall us but such as He knows and 
designs to be for our real good and advantage, how can 
we repine at the dispositions of his all-ruling providence, 
or fail to repose due confidence in Him 1 Does not our 
Blessed Savior assure us that the very hairs of our head 
are all numbered, and that without his permission not 
one of them shall perish ? f 

We should be well persuaded that riches, health, and 
other temporal advantages, may be very detrimental to 
our eternal salvation, and that it is good to suffer the 
privation of them when such is the will of God. We 
ought not only to disregard all losses, but even believe 
that we have lost nothing, so long as we are permitted 
to hope for the eternal possession of the kingdom of 
heaven. 

To animate and fortify our Hope, we ought to 
habituate ourselves to make frequent and fervent acts of 

* Ecchis.; V, 4-9. t See Matt., x, 30, and Luke, xxi, 18. 



142 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

this virtue^ particularly when we are in temptation and 
affliction. 



God permitted St. Francis of Sales to experience a 
most trying and dangerous temptation. While he was 
finishing his studies in Paris, being then only sixteen 
years of age, the enemy of man filled his imagination 
with the dismal thought that he was numbered among 
the reprobate. This temptation so afflicted his soul that it 
deprived him of his rest ; he wo aid neither eat nor drink ; 
his sight became dim, and his strength visibly declined. 
His preceptor, perceiving the condition to which he was 
reduced, that he took no pleasure in anything, and that 
a pale and sickly hue was settling on his countenance, 
inquired the cause of his melancholy ,• but Francis, 
prompted by the wicked enemy, concealed the temptation 
under w^hich he was laboring. 

He no longer felt any pleasure in his spiritual exer- 
cises. Prayer, which had formerly been his delight, 
was now become a burden ,• even the remembrance of 
the delicious sweetness and calm which he had enjoyed 
in this delightful exercise, but increased the desolation 
with which his soul was visited. "• Never," would he say 
to himself, ^^ never can I hope to see the beauty of God's 
house, or drink of the torrent of its pleasure. Oh ! lovely 
tabernacles of the house of my God ! never, never, 
shall I behold you ! '^ 

He remained an entire month in this anguish and 
bitterness of heart, which he could compare to nothing 
but the pangs of death, and which, as he imagined, far 
exceeded anything on earth, that a human being was 
capable of enduring. His days were passed in the 
most bitter agony, and at night, he watered his bed with 
his tears. Having one day entered, by divine inspira- 
tion, the chm'ch of St. Stephen, to invoke the mercy of 
God, he knelt before an image of the Blessed Virgin, 
and begged of this " Comfortress of the afflicted,^' to 
be his advocate with God, and to obtain for him the 
grace, '^ that if he were so miserable as to be destined 
to hate God in eternity, he might, at least, love Him 



OF CHARITY. 143 

with his whole hearty while he remained on earth." A 
prayer dictated by sentiments so remote from those of 
a reprobate, was immediately heard ; the darkness 
which had overspread his mind was dissipated, and his 
soul was replenished with light and joy, with hope and 
consolation. 



Exercises. — 1. What is Hope? — 2. What are these ineffable 
gifts ? — 3. What is the foundation of our Hope ? — 4. What are its 
characteristics ? — 5. What vices are opposed to Hope ? — 6. Why 
is despair a most horrible crime in the sight of God ? — 1. How 
does a person sin by presumption % — 8. Do we sin against hope 
in not having due submission to the dispensations of Providence? 
— 9. Should we frequently make acts of this virtue ? 



SECTION III. 

Of Charity, 

Charity is a supernatural and theological virtue, by 
which we love God above all things, because He is 
infinitely good and perfect, and our neighbor as ourselves 
for the love of God. Hear what our divine Redeemer 
says of Charity, in his reply to a doctor of the law, 
who, tempting him, put the following interrogatory: 
'' Master, which is the great commandment in the law f^ 
Jesus said to him : '' Thou shalt love the Lord thy 
God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, 
and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and 
First Commandment. And the second is like to this : 
— Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these 
two commandments dependeth the whole law and 
prophets." "^ But was it necessary that God should 
command us to love Him ? Is He not supremely beauti- 
ful'? Do not his infinite perfections, his goodness to- 
wards us, the benefits whicli He has conferred upon us, 
the advantages which we gain by attaching ourselves 
to Him, — do they not all engage us to love Him? 
He has created us. He preserves us. He has made the 
heavens, the earth, and all creatures, for our use and 
benefit. But God has done still more for us in the order 
* Matt., xxii, 36-40. 



144 DUTIES or A CHPvISTIAX. 

of salvation. He has given ns his only Son ; He has 
sacrificed him for our redemption • He has adopted us 
as his chilcken ; each day, each moment of our lives, 
He sustains us by his grace ; He destines us, after this 
life, for eternal felicity in the kingdom of his glory 5 
how, then, can we refuse Him our heart 1 Must it be 
proved to a child that he ought to love his father ? Is 
not this sentiment natural to man 1 Is it not the spon- 
taneous tend-ency of the heart ? Does not a child ex- 
perience this tenderness of feeling at the remembrance 
of his parent ? And is not God our Father ? Is there 
any one to whom this name is so suitable ? Is there 
any one who deserves it better ? Add to all this, the 
sweetness that is enjoyed in the exercise of this holy 
love. Oh ! with what pm^e joy, v/hat holy consolation, 
does it fill the heart which it has once inflamed ! All 
the pleasures which the world can afi"ord are nothing, 
when compared with that delicious peace which God 
bestows on the soul that loves Him. We should, then, 
attach om'selves to God; we should hasten to give 
Him our heart before sin renders it unworthy of being 
offered to Him. We cannot be happy but in loving 
Him, and the more we -^ love Him, the more will our 
happiness increase. 

Yes ; God alone is om' true happiness. The man who 
does not love Him is truly miserable, although he may 
live in the midst of glory, riches, and pleasm^es; he 
always desires something, and is never content. He, 
on the contrary, who loves God, finds in tliis holy love 
consolations which supply the place of all things else. 
His desires are satisfied ; his heart is tranquil ; nothing 
can trouble the calm of his soul j in poverty he is rich ; 
in humiliation he is great ,• in suffering he is filled with 
consolation. We should, therefore, love God with our 
whole heart ; He is om^ first beginning, and our last 
end. God wishes to possess our whole heart : we must 
prefer Him to all creatures and be disposed to lose all, 
rather than forfeit his holy grace. In fine, we should 
love nothing whatever, but with reference to Him. 

A person would sin against this commandment by 



or CHARITT. 145 

placing his sovereign good in anything but God j as the 
ambitious, in honors; the avaricious, in riches 3 the 
voluptuary, in sensual pleasures. 

The love of God ought to be active. ^^ If any one 
love me," says our Lord, " he will keep my word.'^* We 
naturally seek to please those whom we love. If we 
love God, w^e shall do his holy will; we will 
accomplish faithfully all He ordains; we will make 
frequent acts of this virtue, to prove the sincerity of 
our afiection ; we will also manifest, by our good works, 
that it exists within us. The love of God is never idle ; 
it is a fire which continually burns : if it cease to inflame 
the heart, we have a proof that it is extinguished. 

But, besides loving God, we must also love our neigh- 
bor. The love of God and the love of our neighbor 
are inseparable ; and our Lord Jesus Christ declares 
that the love of our neighbor is the distinctive mark of 
his disciples. '^ By this shall all men know that you 
are my disciples, if you have love one for another." t 
Whoever, therefore, does not love his neighbor, is not 
a disciple of Jesus Christ ; he has renounced his Gospel 
and his promises : '^ For he that loveth not his brother, 
whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth 
not?" J In the first ages of the Church, there reigned 
among the faithful the most intimate union and the 
most tender charity : they had but one heart and one 
soul. '^ See," said the pagans themselves, speaking of 
those faithful followers of Jesus Christ, ^^ see how they 
love one another." St. Paul reduces all our duties to- 
wards our neighbor to this single precept ) and, in reality, 
if we truly love our neighbor, we shall be very far from 
doing anything in his regard, which is forbidden by the 
other commandments ] we shall neither speak injuriously 
to him nor of him, nor commit violence against him ; 
we shall neither wrong nor deceive him ; but we shall, on 
every occasion, render him all the assistance and service 
in our power. 

Let us not imagine that, by our neigliborj we arc to 
understand those only who are linked to us by alHuity 
* John, xiv, 23. t Johri; xiii; 35. t 1 Joliri; iv, 20. 
7 



146 dtjTies or a chkistian. 

or friendship. ^^ If/' says our Sa^dor, ^^ you love them 
that love you^ what reward shall you have ? do not even 
the publicans this ? And if you salute your brethren 
only^ what do you more ? do not also the heathens this f '' * 
By our neighbor, then, we are to understand, all men 
without exception, because tliey have all the same 
Creator, and the same origin ; because they all compose 
but one family, of which God is the Father ; because 
they have been created for the same end, everlasting 
felicity ; and because they have all been redeemed at 
the same price, the blood of Jesus Christ, who died for 
all men. This love must extend even to our enemies : 
the precept of Jesus Cluist is fonnal. " But I say to 
you, love your enemies ; do good to them that hate you 5 
and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you ,• 
that you may be the children of your Father who is in 
heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good 
and the bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust.^'f 
Say not that it is sufficient not to wish e\dl to 
those who hate you, but that to love them, to be the first 
to propose a reconciliation ^dth them, or to render them 
kindly offices, is impossible. No ; this is not im]30ssible 
with the help of God's grace, and God wall give his 
grace to those who ask it. God commands us to love our 
enemies, and He never commands anything that is im- 
possible ] but He wishes us to do all we can with the help 
of the grace which He has given us, and to implore his 
aid for any f mther assistance that may be wanting to us. 
We prove our love for our neighbor by exercising 
towards him the works of mercy, spiritual and corporal. 
The spiritual works of mercy are : — to lead back to the 
way of wtue those who have strayed from it, to 
instnict the ignorant, to give good counsel, to comfort 
the afflicted, to pardon injuries, to bear Avrongs pa- 
tiently, and to pray for the li^ang and the dead. The 
corporal works are ; — ^to feed the hungry, to give drink 
to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to redeem captives, 
to visit the sick and prisoners, to shelter the harborless, 
and to bmy the dead. 

* Matt., V, 46, 47. t B^id., v, U, 45. 



OF CHAEITT. 147 

The apostle St. Paul may be proposed as a perfect 
model of love for Jesus Christ, who, having destined 
him for a great work and much suffering, bestowed on 
him a great soul, gifted with an unshaken courage, and 
the most ardent charity. " The charity of Jesus Christ 
presseth us," he says in his second Epistle to the 
Corinthians. And again, '^ Christ died for all, that 
they also who live, may not now live to themselves, 
but to him who died for them and rose again."* 
Writing to the Galatians and Eomans, he speaks as 
follows : ^^ I live now, not I, but Christ liveth in me."t 
" Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ ? 
Shall tribulation ? or distress ? or famine ? or naked- 
ness ? or danger ? or persecution 1 or the sword ? But in 
all these things we overcome, because of him that loved 
us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor 
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, 
nor things to come, nor might, nor height, nor depth, 
nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us 
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our 
Lord." J 

St. Paulinus bestowed all he possessed on the poor ; 
and having no longer anything to give, he sold himself 
as a slave, in order to liberate the son of a poor widow 
who had asked him for an alms. St. Gregory the 
Great, who relates this fact in his dialogues, says, that 
St. Paulinus continued to labor in the capacity of a 
slave, until his master, having discovered his extraor- 
dinary merit, generously granted him his liberty. — 

GODESCARD. 



Exercises. — 1. What is charity? — 2. What words of our 
Lord show the importance of charity ? — 3. What are the principal 
motives that should incite as to love God? — 4. How may it be 
shown that God alone constitutes the happiness of man f — 5. How 
should we love God? — 6. What is the most evident proof that 
we love God ? — 7. On what words of Holj Writ is founded the 
obligation of loving our neighbor? — 8. What are our duties 
towards our neighbor? — 9. Who is our neighbor? — 10. JMust 
we love our enemies? — 11. What are the spiritual and corporal 
works of mercy ? 

* 2 Cor., V, 14, 15. t Gal., ii, 20. t Kom., viii, 35, 37-30. 



148 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIA]S^ 

SECTION IV. 

Of Adoration. 

Adoration is tlie fourth duty reqiiii'ed by the first 
commandment. It consists in rendering to God the 
homage and worship wliich are due to Him as sovereign 
Lord and Master of all things. It is a profound 
humiliation, or, as it were, an annihilation of the soul 
before the supreme Majesty of God ; before Him who, 
with a single w^ord, created the heavens and the earth ) 
in whose sight the nations melt as wax, and the moun- 
tains bend with reverence; that God who sends the 
lightning and tempests as ministers of his vengeance, 
and w^ho chains them up again when He is pleased to 
exercise his mercy. At the sight of the greatness of 
God, the adoring soul is humbled, confounded, and, 
in a manner, annihilated, before his divine Majesty; 
she offers the humble acknowledgment of her depend- 
ence and servitude ; she praises and glorifies his holy 
name, and renders grateful thanks for the favors she 
has received from Him ; she humbly implores the 
succors which she needs, and which she expects from 
his goodness alone ; she offers and consecrates herself 
to Him, without reserve, to accomplish in all things his 
holy will. 

These interior sentiments are manifested by corre- 
sponding exterior actions ; such as genufiections, 
prostrations, prayers, thanksgivings, and, above all, by 
the sacrifice of the Mass, which, of all the acts of adoration, 
is the most excellent and august. We ought, then, to 
render God every day, and particularly in the morning 
and at night, the tribute of praise and adoration which 
He demands of us. By this exercise of religion we 
should begin and end the day, and be careful never to 
fail in so important and essential a duty. Our first 
thought, the first motion of our heart, ought to be 
directed to Him who has created us, who preserves us, 
and who daily loads us with new benefits. Our first ac- 
tion should be to prostrate ourselves before his sovereign 
Majesty, to adore Him, to thank Him for his benefits, 



OF ^DORATIOX. 149 

to consecrate ourselves to his service, and to petition 
Him for the graces which are necessary for us. Before 
and after meals we should adore this tender Father, who 
opens his beneficent hand, and fills his children with 
benediction ; and no false shame should ever prevent us 
from acquitting ourselves of this duty. Should a child 
blush to testify his gratitude to a parent every time he 
receives new pledges of his tenderness ? At the close 
of the day, we should renew the homage we rendered to 
God in the morning, humble ourselves in his presence 
for the faults we have committed dmng the day, beg 
pardon for them, and thank Him for the graces with 
which He has favored us. We should remember, how- 
ever, that the formulae of prayers, and other exterior 
practices of piety, are but the body of religion ; the in- 
terior feeling of adoration is its soul. Without this 
disposition of the heart, our words and exterior actions 
would not be agreeable to God ; they would draw down 
upon us the reproach which He formerly made to the 
Jews : '^ This people honoreth me with their lips, but 
their heart is far from me.''* 

Adoration can be paid only to God. We honor and 
venerate the saints, as God's special friends and faithful 
servants ) but we never adore them, nor give them that 
supreme worship which is due to God alone. It is good 
and useful to invoke them, that we may obtain of God, 
through their intercession, the graces of which we stand 
in need ; but it is only of God we ask them in the name 
of Jesus Christ, their Savior and ours, who alone has 
merited them for us by his sufferings and death. 
^' Blessed," says St. Paul, ^^ be the God and Father of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with 
spiritual blessings in heavenly ^tee5 in Christ."* We 
also honor their relics, because they are the precious 
remains of a body which was the temple of the Holy 
Ghost, and which shall, at the last day, rise glorious 
and immortal, and be forever honored in heaven ; and 
in this we but follow the usage of all ages. We honor, 
likewise, their pictures and images, but this honor is 
* Ephes., i, 3. 



150 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

referred to tlie object wHch they represent ; nor do we 
acknowledge in these images and pictures any other 
virtue than that of serving to recall the remembrance 
of those whom they represent. In placing om^selves on 
our knees before an image . of Jesus Christ, of the 
Blessed Virgin, or of the saints, it is not the image, it 
is Jesus Christ himseK we adore , it is not the image 
we honor, but him or her, the remembrance of whose 
virtue it recalls. 

The use of images and pictures is productive of great 
advantages. They remind us of the virtues- of the 
saints, their combats and victories, and the glory which 
they now enjoy in heaven. 

The sins opposite to the adoration due to God, are 
idolatry^ sii;perstitionj and irreverence. Idolatry consists 
in giving to creatm^es the worship due to God alone. 
This was the crime of the pagans, who rendered di- 
\dne honors to inanimate creatures, and even to the 
works of their own hands. Such gross idolatry exists 
no longer amongst us, but iiTcligion and impiety have 
taken its place. There are foolish men who make 
divinities, as it were, of their vices, and whose pride, 
love of riches and pleasures, impurity, gluttony, &c., 
become the objects of their idolatry. How abominable 
in the sight of God is that sacrilegious worship which 
is given to those passions which, in a depraved heart, 
usurp the place of the divinity ! 

Superstition is committed when we use, in the divine 
worship, practices which the Church does not sanction, 
or place confidence in certain words or actions which it 
disapproves, and from which we expect to obtain 
particular effects, such as the knowledge of things hid- 
den or to come,- also, when we observe omens, and 
what are called lucky and unlucky days. All these, 
and such like superstitions, are calculated to draw 
down on those who commit them, the malediction of 
Almighty. 

The sin of irreverence is committed by profaning 
chm^ches, relics, or holy things, and still more by a 
sacrilegious reception of the sacraments. It is a sacrilege 



OF ADOPvATION. 151 

to steal any sacred tiling, to steal in a churcli, to strike 
a person consecrated to God, &c. 

Oonstantius Clilorus, a wise and humane prince, 
esteemed and protected the Christian religion. For 
some time, however, having concealed his real disposi- 
tions, he publicly declared that all Christians who held 
offices in his court, should offer sacrifice to Jupiter and 
to the other pagan divinities, if they desired to retain 
their situations and his favor. Some, jDreferring 
temporal advantages to their eternal interests, imme- 
diately complied with the condition, little imagining 
tlmt the prince merely intended to make trial of their 
virtue and fidelity. No sooner had they sacrificed, 
than he, indignant at their base apostacy, banished 
them contemptuously from his presence. One of his 
courtiers, greatly astonished, begged an explanation, to 
whom the emperor wisely replied : " Men who sacrifice 
religion to worldly interests, are capable of infidelity 
to every obligation. Could I expect that those men 
whose disgrace has excited yom^ surprise, would have 
proved faithful to me, after having acted so unfaithfully 
to their God ? " Not content with punishing and hum- 
bling these apostates, he felt it a duty to reward those 
who had generously adhered to their religion, regardless 
of consequences ; he kept them continually about his 
person, and reposed in them the most unlimited 
confidence. 

The Emperor Constantine Copronymus raised a 
violent persecution against Catholics on account of the 
honor they paid to holy images. A pious and learned 
solitary, named Stephen, being brought before him, 
charged with this pretended crime, the emperor asked 
him if he still persisted in his idolatry, for such he 
designated the honor which Catholics give to images. 
'^ Where is the man so ignorant," replied the^saint, ^^as 
to worship stones, gold, or silver, because they are 
made to represent Jesus Christ or his saints f Surely, 
it is well known that the honor we pay these representa- 
tions is purely relative." Then, producing a piece 



152 DUTIES or A christia:^'. 

of money, lie tumed to ttose near him, and asked, 
^vould they not deem him worthy of punishment who 
should cast this coin on the ground, and trample under 
foot the image of their emperor. ''• Doubtless,^^ they 
answered, ^' the insult ought to be punished." " Oh, 
then," rejoined the holy man, '^ how blind you must be ! 
You would punish him with death who should trample 
on the image of an earthly prince, a mortal man, and 
yet you would dare to trample on the image of the King 
of kings ! " 

Exercises. — 1. Have we other duties to flilfil towards God 
than those prescribed by the theological virtues ? — 2. In what 
does adoration consist f — 3. With what sentiments should the 
greatness of God inspire us ? — 4. How are these interior senti- 
ments manifested exteriorly ? — 5. ^^Tien ought we to render God 
our tribute of praise and adoration ? — 6. Do w-e adore the saints ? 
— 7. Wliom do we honor when we kneel before the images of 
Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and the saint-s ?— 8. What is the 
utOitj of images ? — 9. "WTiat sins are opposed to the adoration 
due io God? — 10. In what does idolatry consist? — 11. When 
are we guilty of superstition? — 12. How do we sin by 
irreverence ? 



SECTION V. 

Of tlie Bespect due to tJta House of God, 

The Chm'ch is the house of God ; He fills it with 
his presence and his glory. This is the place in which 
He particularly resides, and which is specially conse- 
crated to his worship. Here the faithful assemble to 
pray, to sing his praises, and to celebrate the holy 
mysteries. Here, too, om' Lord Jesus Christ dwells 
corporally, and offers himself a Victim for us to his 
heavenly JFather. Need anything further be said to 
impress us with the most profound respect and the most 
religious veneration ? Ought we not to enter this holy 
place with a- respectful fear, raying with the patriarch 
Jacob, '^ How terrible is this place ! This is no other 
than the house of God, and the Gate of heaven ! '^ * 
Yes, the temple of God is a new heaven, in which He 
* GenesiS; xxviii^ 17. 



BESPECT DUE TO THE HOUSE OF GOD. 153 

dwells with men. He wlio resides in this august taber- 
nacle, is the same God that the blessed adore in Heaven. 
We ought, like them, to be annihilated, as it were, in 
mind and heart before the divine Majesty, who, though 
veiled in our temples, is not the less entitled to our 
adorations. How, then, dare we enter them without 
respect ? How dare we remain in them with so little 
recollection or modesty, and sometimes even with the 
most scandalous dissipation ? 

Everything in this holy place reminds us of the 
benefits of God : — that sacred font at which we received, 
together with the life of grace, the inestimable right to 
a heavenly inheritance ; those tribunals of reconciliation 
in which we have been so frequently purified from our 
sins and healed of our spiritual maladies ; that cross on 
which our Redeemer died to save us ; that altar on 
which he daily immolates himself, to apply to our soul 
the fruits of his sufferings and death. Here, too, we 
have participated' of the table of the Lord in the holy 
communion, and received the unction of the Holy 
Ghost in confirmation. Ought not objects so touching 
to fill our mind with holy thoughts, and our heart with 
pious sentiments "? and should they not render our visits 
to this holy place more frequent ? How is it that we 
frequently go thither with repugnance, remain there 
with disgust, and occupy ourselves while we stay with 
vain, not to say criminal, thoughts 1 Do not so many 
monuments of God's goodness speak feelingly to our 
heart? What an outrage to respond to so much love 
with so reprehensible an indifference ! 

Such is the respect which the Turks have for their 
mosques, that they never pass by them without paying 
them some mark of reverence. A man on horseback 
who should pass without alighting, woukl subject him- 
self to severe chastisement. They enter them bare- 
footed, and with the hands joined in profound recoUec- 
tion ; so attentive are they while they stay, that they 
seem more like pious Christians than infidels. Tliey 
several times bow down their heads to the ground, in 



154 DUTIES or A CHRISTIAl^. 

token of tlieir liumiliation in the presence of the Deity. 
During the whole time they continue in prayer, they 
are never observed to look about them. To speak in 
the mosque is a crime j and it is a thing unheard of to 
see two Turks exchange a word at time of prayer. 
Should one of them be spoken to at this time, he would 
not utter the least answer ; and should he be struck, or 
otherwise ill-treated, he would not even look around to 
see who had don6 him the injury. What confusion 
shall not these infidels one day cause to those irregular 
Christians, w^ho pray with so little attention and 
reverence ! Even the most regular amongst us may 
learn a salutary lesson from their example. — Des 
Voyages. 



Exercises. — 1. What motives should impress us with a 
profound respect for the house of God ? — 2. With what sentiments 
should we be animated on entering this holy place ? — 3. With 
what should the sacred font; the tribunal of reconciliation, the 
cross, the altar, &c., inspire us ? 



CHAPTER III. 

Of the Second Commandment 

"thou SHALT ^OT TAKE THE l^TAME OE THE LORD 
THY GOD lis" YAIIS^.^^ 

The Second Commandment enjoins the duty of 
speaking with reverence of God and all holy things, 
and of keeping our lawful oaths and vows. It forbids 
all swearing injurious to God or his saints. It is as if* 
the Lord would say : '' Reverence my name ] do not 
profane it, by using it to authorize lies or injustice, or, 
without a sufficient cause, even truth itself. ^^ To swear 
is to invoke God or his saints to witness the truth of 
what we assert, or to witness the promise which we 
make. 

Swearing is an act of religion or a sin, according as 
the circumstances and dispositions which accompany it 
are good or evil. To be an act of religion, an oath must 
have three conditions, viz., truth, justice, and judgment, 



SECOND COMMANDMENT. 155 

according to these words of the prophet Jeremias : 
'' Thou shalt swear : As the Lord liveth, in truth, and 
in judgment, and in justice.'^* If the oath wants 
tmth, it is Si false oath, a peijury ; if it wants justice, 
it is an unjust oath ; if it wants judgment, that is, if it 
is taken with levity, or without sufficient necessity, it 
is a rash oath. A rash oath, though it may have truth 
and justice, is a sin ; and it may become considerable 
by accompanying circumstances, or on account of the 
scandal it may occasion. Besides, such -as have the 
custom of swearing rashly, are daily exposed to the 
danger of perjury : ^^ Let not thy mouth be accustomed 
to swearing, for in it there are many falls." t An 
oath should be taken for a just cause only, and never 
through passion. 

Unjust and false oaths are grievous sins, and become 
more or less heinous, in proportion to the malice of the 
swearer, and the scandal which they occasion. 

A prmnissory oath is that which a person takes in 
order to render more certain the execution of what he 
promises. He who takes such an oath without having 
the intention to do what he promises, sins grievously, 
and becomes guilty of perjury. As to the performance 
of what is thus promised, there are two cases in which 
the oath does not oblige : first, when the thing is bad 
or forbidden, for God will never require the execution 
of what is sinful ; secondly, w^hen the thing which was 
possible when the oath was taken, has become im- 
possible. When an oath is extorted through violence, 
to perform a lawful thing, — for example, if, through 
fear of injuries threatened by a robber, you pronjise on 
oath to send him what he demands, — you are bound to 
fulfil your promise ; because, although the robber ex- 
torted the promise unjustly, there is nothing unlawful 
in its fulfilment. However, you may go to the bishop 
for a relaxation of the oath, and then you will be no 
longer bound by the promise which had been extorted 
by threats. 

There are three kinds of words that have reference to 
* Jeremias, iv, 2. t Ecclus., xxiii, 9. 



156 DUTIES OF A CHPvISTIAN-. 

swearing — Nasphemy, imprecations j and disguised oaths. 
Blasphemy is a word or discourse injurious to God, to 
Ms saints, or to religion. It w^ould be blasphemy 
against God, to attribute to Him defects, or to charge 
Him with partiality, severity, injustice, &:c. ; to deny 
any of his perfections, such as the care He takes of his 
creatures 5 to speak with contempt of his divine 
attributes, or to add to his adorable name terms which 
would dishonor it. It would be blasphemy -against the 
saints to mock them, attribute defects to them, or censure 
the respect with which the Church honors them. It 
would be blasphemy against religion, to turn it into 
derision, to blame its practices, or to speak e^dl of the 
Scriptures. There are also blasphemies of the mind 
and heart ; such as thoughts and desires contrary to the 
divine perfections, or to things which concern religion. 
Of this kind is the blasphemy of the impious, who say 
in their heart, ^' There is no God.^^ * This is a horrible 
sin, and one which merits the most dreadful punish- 
ments. Blasphemers are not now, as in former times, 
stoned, nor are their tongues cut out ; but let them not 
triumph 5 the time of punishment will soon arrive, and 
then they shall receive the chastisement due to their 
crimes. 

Imprecations are words by which, in promising, deny- 
ing, or afiirming, something, we wish evil to others or 
to ourselves, such as death, damnation, &c. Disguised 
oaths are of two kinds : first, the oaths themselves, with 
some change in the terms in which they are expressed 5 
secondly, words which do not precisely express an oath, 
and yet have reference, in some manner, thereto. 
Christians ought not to express themselves thus, nor 
permit themselves habitually to use such words. 

By swearing, we affirm or promise something to men 
by interposing the name of God ; there are also promises 
to God himself, of things that are agreeable to Him. A 
promise of this kind is called a vow. 

A vow is a deliberate and voluntary promise made to 
God, of doing something that is good or more agreeable 
* Psalm, lii; 1. " 



SECOISTD COMMANDMENT. 157 

to Godj or abstaining from sometliing that is bad or less 
pleasing to God, and made for his honor and glory. He 
who, in this manner, promises to make a pilgrimage, to 
give certain alms, to avoid a certain sin or the occasion 
of it, &c., makes a vow. 

A vow is more than a simple resolution. By a vow, 
a person obliges himself to God to do the thing pro- 
mised, under pain of sin. The obligation of executing 
such promises extends to the circumstances promised, 
the place, time, &c. The Church can dispense with 
the obligation of performing what one has promised 
by vow j but she does not, and cannot do so, without 
serious reasons. 



A boy who had been trained up with much care by 
virtuous masters, gave, on one occasion, a very touching 
proof of his faith. Having retiu^ned somewhat later 
than usual from school, his father, exceedingly angry, 
reprehended him sharply, and swore by the most holy 
name of God. The poor child, afflicted at being the oc- 
casion of this profanation, and of his father^s anger, flung 
himself at his feet, and cried out, ^^ father, beat me, 
but do not swear ! ^' The father, seeing the horror 
which his impiety had excited in the child, was sensibly 
affected, and so much did he profit by the lesson it had 
taught him, that he never afterwards blasphemed or 
swore profanely. If Christian children were but good 
and pious, what a number of sins might they not pre- 
vent their parents from committing ! — EssAi SUE LE 
Blaspheme. 



Exercises. — 1. What does the Second Commandment enjoin 
and forbid ? — 2. What is swearing ? — 3. How many conditions 
must an oath have to make it an act of religion ? — 4. What is a 
false oath? — 5. An unjust oath? — 6. A rash oath ? — 7. A promis- 
sory oath 1 — 8. In what cases does the oath not oblige^ as to the 
performance of what 'is thus promised'/ — 9. Are we obliged to 
keep an oath extorted through violence? — 10. What is blas- 
phemy, and, name some caseS; in which we may be guilty there- 
of? — il. What do you mean by blasphemies of the mind and heart '? 
— 12. What are imprecations? — 13. How many kinds of dis- 
guised oaths are there ? — 14. What is a vow ? — 15. What is tho 



158 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAN. 

difference between a resolution and a vow ? — 16. To what does a 
person oblige himself by a vow ? — 17. To whom is reserved the 
power of dispensing with the obligation of a vow ? 



CHAPTER IV. 

Of fhe Third Commandment 

"remember that thou keep holt the 
sabbath day.'' 

Every day belongs to the Lord; there is not one 
wliich should not be referred to his glory j but, as the 
necessities of this life prevent us from occupying our- 
selves continually in religious exercises, God has re- 
served to himself one day in each week, which He 
ordains to be employed in his worship and sei-vice. 
This precept is as ancient as the world. God, after 
having created the universe, consecrated this day, in 
order that men should celebrate the memory of the 
creation, and of that mysterious rest into which He en- 
tered, after having finished this great work. The day 
whereon God rested was, in the Old Law, the seventh, 
and was called the Sabbath, or day of rest ; but in the 
New Law, it is the first day of the week, and is called 
Sunday, or the Lord's day. Sunday has been substituted 
for Saturday, from the time of the apostles, and by 
divine inspiration, in memory of the Resurrection of our 
Lord Jesus Christ ; because on that day, after the labors 
of his mortal life, he entered into his eternal repose. It 
is destined to honor the Lord, the conqueror of death, 
by whom w^e have been all redeemed, 

^^ Six days shalt thou labor, and shalt do all thy 
works ; but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the 
Lord thy God : thou shalt do no work on it, thou, nor 
thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy 
maid-servant, nor thy beast, nor the stranger that is 
within thy gate."* The Jews observed the Sabbath 
so religiously that they prepared, on the eve, the food 
that was necessary for the Sabbath day. The law of 
* ExoduS; XX; 9, 10. 



THIRD COMMANDMENT. 159 

the Gospel is less rigorous ; it permits tlie works which 
charity or necessity may clemand ; as^ also, those which 
are called liberal j namely, reading, writing, drawing, 
&:c. ] but it does not permit servile works, that is, such 
labors as people usually occupy themselves with to 
gain a livehood ; nor those which would interfere with 
the service of God. It would, then, be a great evil to 
occupy this holy day in servile w^orks, unless they were 
absolutely required by the divine service, the public 
necessity, or the indispensable wants of life. 

It is sinful, also, to share in criminal amusements ; 
for this would be to profane, not to sanctify, the 
Sunday. Of all works, what can be more contrary to 
the sanctification of this day, than those of sin, which 
render us slaves of the deviH Does not sin, which is 
alwaj^s a great evil, appear to possess a new degree of 
enormity, when committed on this day ? Does not such 
conduct betray a great forgetfulness of God, and a 
great contempt of his holy law ? 

It is not sufficient to abstain from servile and 
criminal works ; we must also employ the Sunday in 
the service of God, and in works of piety and religion : 
this is the essential end of the precept. If God com- 
mands us to interrupt our ordinary labors, it is, that 
nothing may interfere with our application to his service. 
Would God be honored by a repose of idleness? 
Would we sanctify this day by passing it in gambling 
or in feasting ? No, undoubtedly. The woiis which 
sanctify the Sunday are : assisting at the divine offices, 
public instructions, pious reading, and, in general, all 
good works, which have for their object the worship of 
God, our own sanctification, and the advantage of our 
neighbor. It is true, that God does not forbid us inno- 
cent and moderate recreation. This is necessar}^ for us, 
and we may safely take it, but never to the prejudice 
of piety; nor should the time of recreation be taken 
from that which is destined for prayer, for praising of 
God, or our own instruction. Would it be sanctifying 
this day to give but a small portion of it to God f Tlio 
Church, indeed, prescribes the hearing of Mass as the 



160 DUTIES OF A CHKISTIA:N". 

principal work of piety, by wMoh tliis day is to be 
sanctiiied ] but the public prayers and instructions, ap- 
pointed for different hours in the day, show us clearly 
that her wish is that we assist at them. 



In the old law, the profaners of the Sabbath were 

punished with death. God not only ordered that the 
man who was found gathering a few sticks on the 
Sabbath day, should be stoned, but He expressly said 
to Moses : " Speak to the children of Israel, and thou 
shalt say to them : See that thou keep my Sabbath • 
because it is a sign between Me and you in your gene- 
rations ,• that you may know that I am the Lord, who 
sanctify you. Keep you my Sabbath, for it is holy 
unto you ; he that shall profane it, shall be put to 
death ; he that shall do any work on it, his soul shall 
perish out of the midst of his people. Six days shall 
you do work ; on the seventh day is the sabbath, the 
rest holy to the Lord. Every one that shall do any 
work on this day shall die." * 

A missionary priest, who resided in one of the 
Marian islands, was, on a Sunday, passing along the 
seashore, on his way to visit a sick person. He saw 
some Indians, whom he knew to be Christians, em- 
ployed mending their barks. He asked them if they 
had not all the other days of the week to do such 
w^ork ) and what could induce them to transgress the 
divine precept which ordains, that the Lord's day 
should be kept holy, by abstaining from all servile 
work, and employing it in works of christian piety. 
They replied in a surly and disrespectful manner, that 
they did so because it was their wish. The missionary 
pursued his journey, and having visited the sick person, 
he repassed the same way, and found the barks and 
the house in which the Indians had been at work, burnt 
to ashes. The poor people, who had been so indifferent 
to his charitable remonstrance, instructed by the 
calamity which had befallen them, were covered with 
^ ExoduS; xxxi; 13-15. 



FOUETH COMMANDMENT. 161 

confusion, and gave evident marks of their sincere 
regret for the sin and folly of which they had been 
guilty. — ^Lettres Edifiantes. 

Exercises. — 1. What day of the week has God reserved to 
himself? — 2. Why has He consecrated tliis day ? — 3. Is this 
precept very ancient ? — 4. Why was the Sabbath of the Old Law 
superseded by the Sunday of the NeAV ? — 5. Tell us how relig- 
iously the Jews observed the Sabbath ? — 6. How should we ob- 
serve Sunday? — 7. What works does the law of the Gospel permit 
and prohibit on the Lord^s day ? — 8. Does the sanctitication of 
Sunday consist in abstaining from servile and criminal works? 



CHAPTER V. 

Of the Fourth Commandment. 

" HOK"OIl THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER.'^ 

God^ by the Fourth Commandment, prescribes the 
duties of inferiors towards their superiors, and of superiors 
towards their inferiors ; for, by the name father and 
mother, must be understood all those who have any 
authority or right to command us. Children have four 
principal duties to fulfil towards their parents : they 
ought to respect, love, obey, and assist them in all their 
necessities. 

The first duty of children to their parents is respect, 
an inviolable respect, at all times and on all occasions. 
This respect consists in receiving, with docility, their 
advice and correction, in speaking to them, always with 
submission, in giving them no cause of displeasure, and 
in concealing or excusing their faults and imperfections. 
^' Honor thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest 
be long-lived upon the land, which the Lord thy God 
will give thee." * " Honor thy father and thy mother, 
which," says St. Paul, " is the first commandment with 
a promise." t A father and mother are, in regard to 
their children, the representatives of God ; they hold his 
place ; they are the depositaries of his authority. To 
fail in respect towards them, is to fail in respect towards 
Exod.; XX; 12. t Ephes.; vi, 2. 



162 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

God himself: tlie injury done to tliem is offered to Him 
whom tliey represent. Hence, in the Old Law, if a 
child so far failed in respect for his parents as to curse 
them, he was punished with the utmost severity. " He 
that cm'seth his father or mother, dying let him die : 
he hath cm'sed his father and mother, let his blood be 
upon him.'^* Besides the general promise of a long and 
happy life annexed to the Fourth Commandment, the 
Scripture contains many other promises of particular 
blessings annexed to this duty. " He that honoreth 
his mother is as one that layeth up a treasure. He 
that honoreth his father shall have joy in Ms own 
children ; and in the day of his prayer he shall be heard.'^t 

The second duty of children is to love their parents. 
Is it necessary to prove this obligation ? Does it not 
suffice to remind any child, with ordinary feelings, of 
his many obligations to his parents ? They have given 
him life ; since his birth they have taken care of him ; 
during his infancy, when he stood in need of unceasing 
attention, they were almost solely occupied with him ; 
and how disagreeable soever the attentions were which 
he then required, they afforded them with joy. What 
pains do not a father and mother take, and what labors 
do they not undergo, to procure for thek child what his 
wants require ! He who, after such services, does not 
love his parents, can hardly be regarded as a Christian, 
or even as a human being — he is a monster in human 
form ! 

The third duty of children towards their parents is 
obedience. *^ Children,'' says St. Paul, ^^ obey your 
parents in the Lord, for this is just.'' \ A child that 
obeys his parents cheerfully, proves that he loves and 
respects them sincerely 5 but he who disobeys them, or 
obeys them with reluctance, shows that he has for them 
neither the love nor the respect to which they are entitled. 

The fourth duty of children towards their parents, is 

to assist them in their necessities, such as sickness, old 

age, or poverty. On all these occasions, a child is 

bound to assist his parents as much as is in his power. 

*Lev., XX, 9. t Eccles.; iii; 5, 6. X Ephes., vi, 1. 



FOURTH comma:n"dmeitt. 163 

Whoever possesses tlie ordinary feelings of humanity, 
will be sensible of this obligation ; and surely, there can 
be no greater happiness than to give back to a father 
and mother a part, at least, of that which we have 
received from them. To fail in this duty would be 
monstrous ingratitude, and would prove that the very 
sentiments of nature were stifled within us. The Scrip- 
tiu'e expresses itself in very strong terms against those 
Vv4io are guilty of this crime. '' Of what an evil fame 
is he that forsake t& his father ) and he is cursed of Grod 
that angereth his mother,"* by refusing to take care of 
her. '^ He that afflicteth his father, and chaseth away 
his mother, is infamous and unhappy.'^ t ^^ Support," 
says Ecclesiasticus, " the old age of thy father, and 
grieve him not in his life ; and if his understanding 
fail, have patience with him, and despise him not when 
thou art in thy strength • for the relieving of the father 
shall not be forgotten. For good shall be repaid to 
thee for the sin of thy mother. And injustice thou shalt 
be built up, and in the day of affliction thou shalt be 
remembered J and thy sins shall melt away as the ice 
in the fair warm weather." | 

If a child ought to assist his parents in their temporal 
wants, with much more reason ought he to procure for 
them those spiritual succors of which they have need, 
particularly in their old age and last sickness. Several 
parents have been indebted for their eternal salvation 
to the attention of tlieir children, in procuring for them 
the last sacraments before their death. Children ought 
also, after the decease of their parents, to execute faith- 
fully their last will, pray fervently for them, and cause 
prayers and Masses to be offered for their eternal repose. 

Fathers and mothers owe four things to their children ; 
namely, maintenance^ instruction correction, and good 
example. They ought to maintain and clothe their 
children, and train them up in a manner befitting thc^ir 
condition. They should have them taught some useful 
trade, or procure for them a profession or an employment 

* Ecclus., iii, 18. t Prov., xix, 26. 

tEoclus., iii; 14-17. 



164 DUTIES OF A CHPvISTIAX. 

by which, in after-life, they may obtain a suitable 
livelihood. 

It is also their duty to teach them, or have them 
taught, the principal mysteries of religion, the Com- 
mandments of God, and the Precepts of the Church, 
and the prayers they ought daily to recite. When 
their children are about to engage in a state of life, 
parents ought to consult God by prayer, and should 
examine well whether the state which their children are 
about to embrace, is that to which they are called. 
They should also instnict them on the natm-e of its 
obligations. 

Parents are obliged to correct their children, that is, 
to reprehend them when they have committed a fault ; 
but they should be careful to do so with meekness and 
charity, not with anger and passion. 

They should also watch over their own conduct, and 
give good example to their children. They should be 
careful neither to do nor to say, in the presence of thek 
children, anything that is reprehensible, or that cannot 
lawfully be imitated. Oh ! how many are damned for 
having given bad example to their children, or for 
having neglected to train them up in a christian 
manner ! 

To this commandment is also referred what St. Paul 
addressed to the Romans : ^^Let every soul be subject to 
higher powers ; for there is no power but from God ; 
and those that are, are ordained of God. Therefore he 
that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. 
And they that resist, pm'chase to themselves damnation. 
For princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the 

evil For he is God's minister to thee, for good. 

But if thou do that which is e^^il, fear ; for he beareth 

not the sword in vain TTherefore, be subject of 

necessity, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' 
sake. Eender, therefore, to all men theh dues j — tribute 
to whom tribute is due ; custom to whom custom ; 
fear to whom fear ; honor to whom honor." * There is, 
therefore, an absolute obligation to obey the laws in 
* Eom.^ xiii, 1-5^ 7. 



FOURTH COMMANDMENT. 165 

everything that is not contrary to the divine precepts : 
thus the apostles and primitive Christians acted^ although 
they lived under cruel and idolatrous princes, who 
inhumanly put to death a countless multitude of 
martyrs. The prince of the apostles ordains, that we 
be submissive not only to sovereigns, but also to magis- 
trates, who are theu^ representatives.* 

This commandment requires also, that the faithful be 
submissive to their ecclesiastical superiors. The Pope 
is the vicar of Jesus Christ 5 the diocesan bishop is the 
successor of the 'apostles ; a parish priest is the spiritual 
father of his parishioners ; a confessor is their visible 
angel, to conduct to heaven those who confide in him 5 
every Catholic priest is the minister of Jesus Christ for 
the administration of the sacraments and remission of 
sins. We should testify to them, on every occasion, 
the love, respect, and obedience, which they merit on 
account of the sacred character with which they are 
invested, and the functions which they are appointed to 
exercise on the part of God. To all the ministers of 
his Church Jesus Christ says : " He that heareth you, 
heareth me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. 
And he that despiseth me, despiseth Him that sent 
me.'' t 

Masters who are charged with the education of 
children, hold the first rank after parents. Their func- 
tion is to teach their pupils the knowledge of religion 
and human science, to watch over their conduct, and to 
form their hearts to virtue. They are bound to enter- 
tain for their pupils the affection of a father, and to 
fulfil his duties towards them. 

Pupils ought, on their part, to entertain for their 
masters respect, love, docility, and submission. A 
master consecrates his time, studies, and health, to 
educate his scholars in secular and religious knowledge j 
for them he sacrifices his liberty, reduces hiuiself to a 
species of servitude, and supports with patience the 
weariness and disgust of incessantly repeating the same 
things. What a title to their gratitude does he not 
* 1 Pet.; ii, 13, 14. t Luke, x, 16. 



166 DUTIES OE A christia:&t. 

acqui-re by so many sacrifices^ and by procuring for 
tliem so many inestimable advantages ! The advices 
wMch be gives are necessary to teach them how to 
avoid the dangers to which their passions expose them : 
they are salutary curbs which arrest them, and prevent 
them from falling into the dhe abyss which yaw^ns 
beneath their feet. Nor will the reprimands which he 
is obliged sometimes to give, weaken their affection for 
him, if they are not unreasonable. When he reprimands 
them, it is through zeal for theh improvement, which, 
had he loved them less, would not have given him so 
much concern. He never uses severity but with regret, 
and his own feelings are wounded by the reproofs 
which he is obliged to give^ 

We often see persons who, in their youth, had oppor- 
tunities of being well educated, but to whom these 
opportunities proved fruitless. They have grown up 
incapable of discharging the duties of their situations, 
and by reason of their ignorance, they daily fall into 
numberless mistakes. Should you wish to know 
whence this disorder proceeds, ask those who have 
always known them. They will tell tell you : '' These 
persons w^ere idlers, w^ho never submitted to restraint or 
authority ; they rejected advice, and spurned reprehen- 
sion 5 they disregarded their masters, exposed then* 
least defect, took a malicious pleasure in speaking to 
their disadvantage, and in prepossessing others against 
them : therefore are they ignorant of what it most con- 
cerns them to know 5 they are full of defects, are use- 
less — despicable. In a w^ord, because in their youth 
they were indocile and disobedient, they are, in manhood, 
ignorant and irreligious." Young persons are not sufii- 
ciently sensible of their obligations to their instructors, 
nor of the impoilance of the services which they render 
them ,• but they shall one day know the value of a 
good education, and understand how much they are 
indebted to those who have been the instruments 
of so great a blessing. The advantages of a good 
education cannot be sufficiently appreciated 5 we shall 
enjoy them during the whole period of om' life. Our 



FOURTH COMMANDMENT. 167 

gratitude for them should^ therefore, have no other 
limits. 



A French gentleman was arrested at Lyons for some 
supposed crime, and was thence sent to Paris. His 
daughter never quitted him. She asked permission to 
accompany him in the vehicle wherein he was to travel, 
but this was refused her. Although naturally of a 
delicate frame, she travelled all the way on foot, a 
distance of more than a hundred leagues, keeping up 
all along with the prison van, of which she lost sight 
only when she went to prepare food for him in the 
towns through which they passed, and when she went 
to beg the loan of a blanket, that he might rest with 
more ease in the prison to which, for the night, he was 
consigned. She ceased not for a moment to follow him 
and to provide for his wants until their arrival in Paris, 
where she was prohibited from waiting on him. Accus- 
tomed to soften the severity of his gaolers, this affectionate 
daughter was not disheartened, nor did she despair of 
overcoming even the malignity of his persecutors j and 
after three months of reiterated prayers and solicitations, 
she had the happiness of obtaining his release, and of 
again embracing the author of her existence, to whose 
interests she had so heroically devoted herself. — 
Oarron. 



Exercises. — 1. What does God prescribe by the Fourth Com- 
mandment? — 2. Who are comprised under the name father and 
mother f — 3. What are the four principal duties of children to- 
wards their parents ? — 4. In what does the respect due to parents 
consist ? — 5. Besides the general pi'omise of a long and happv 
life, what other promises of particular blessings to respectful 
children, does Scripture contain ? — 6. What are the motives that 
oblige cliildren to love their parents? — 7. How may Ave quality a 
child who does not love his parents after such services? — 8. 
What is the third duty of children towards their parents, and 
what do they prove by cheerfully obeying them ? — 9. How do 
children fulfil the fourth duty towards their parents? — 10. Should 
a child assist his parents in their temporal wants only? — 11. 
What four things do parents owe their children? — 12. Is it 
obligatory to obey the laws of our country? — 13. On what })as- 
sages of Scripture is this founded? — 11. Wlioiu must we'obey ni 



168 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAlSr. 

the Church ? — 15. On what is this submission founded ? — 16. 
What are the duties of masters towards their pupils ? — 17. What 
ought pupils to entertain for their masters ? — 18. What are the 
fatal consequences of neglecting to profit by the education we 
receive'? — 19. What gratitude should pupils cherish towards 
their masters ? 



CHAPTER VI. 

Of tlie Fifth Commandment. 

" THOU SHALT NOT KILL." 

God, by the Fifth Oommandment, forbids to takd 
away, by private authority, the life of a fellow-creature. 
He also forbids us by it to take away our own. This 
crime is an outrage against the sovereign power of Godf 
for He is the absolute Master of the life of man : to 
Him alone it belongs to take it away, as it is He alone 
can give it. It is the highest act of injustice that can 
be committed against man, as it robs him of that which 
he holds most dear. A person is guilty of mm^der, not 
only when he himself commits the act, but also when, 
by command or counsel, he causes it to be committed, 
or when he assists in its perpetration. 

The law of God does not confine itself to merely 
forbidding mm'der ; it also forbids anger, contempt of 
om' neighbor, injuries, and \dolence. Jesus Christ him- 
self has given this extent to the precept, commanding 
us to stifle in our heart every motion of anger and 
desire of revenge, and interdicting all their effects, such 
as injurious words and evil treatment, because they are 
all in themselves a kind of murder, and may lead to its 
commission, if not quickly repressed : therefore, St. 
John declares, that " whosoever hateth his brother is a 
murderer.'^ ^ What other idea can we form of those 
who propose or accept a challenge to a duel, than 
that they are grievously criminal in the sight of God I 
What insane wickedness to imbrue one's hands in a 
brother's blood for a slight insult, a trifling raillery, a 

^ 1 John, iii, 15. 



FITTH COMMAl^DMENT. 169 

mere word ; and to sacrifice to a false point of honor 
one^s own eternal salvation and that of his neighbor ! 
The Greeks and Eomans^ although pagans^ were 
vstrangers to this barbarous custom. They were pas- 
sionate for glory ; but they well knew in what true 
glory consists : they made it consist in shedding their 
blood for the good of their country 5 and they drew 
their swords against the enemies of the state, not 
against their fellow-citizens. Duelling is, then, a crime, 
as contrary to humanity as to Christianity, as opposed 
to reason as to religion. 

It is no less a crime to take away one's own life. 
Life is a deposit which God has confided to us, and 
which He commands us to preserve until He again 
requires it. To dispose of it without his order, or 
contrary to his prohibition, would be to usurp the rights 
of God, who is the sole arbiter of life and death. This 
crime is so much the more horrible, as it is irremediable ; 
there is no opportunity left for repentance 5 its per- 
petrator precipitates himself irrecoverably into everlast- 
ing perdition. What folly to think of escaping a pass- 
ing vexation, by casting one's self into the frightful and 
fathomless abyss of hell ! 

God does not confine himself to the prohibition of 
taking away the life of the body ; He also forbids 
whatever can injure the soul, particularly scandal, which 
takes away the spiritual life of our neighbor. Scandal 
consists in doing anything which will lead others to 
sin, or turn them away from the path of virtue. It is 
a second species of murder ; one which does not strike 
the senses, but which is no less real in the eyes of 
faith, and no less criminal before God. Jesus Christ 
threatens with the severest punishment, those who 
are to their brethren a subject of scandal, and an 
occasion of transgression. " Woe to that man by 

whom the scandal cometh He that shall scandalize 

one of these little ones that believe in me, it were 
better for him that a millstone should be hanged 
about his neck, and that he should be di'owned in the 

*Matt.; xviii; 7, 6. 
S 



170 DUTIES OE A CHKISTIAX. 

deptli of the sea.-^ ^ TTe may jndge of the enormity of 
this sin by the horror of it with which our Blessed 
Lord is desirous of inspuing us. 

If we consider the effects of scandal, we shall 
acknowledge the justice of the awful punishment which 
God resers'es for those who are guilty of it. What 
does the sinner, who scandalizes his neighbor! He 
opposes the designs of God for the salvation of men. 
'^ It is not the will of your Father, who is in heaven 
that one of these little ones should perish,^^* says Jesus 
Christ. He has adopted them all as his children ; He 
wishes to save all ; but by scandal a person puts an 
obstacle to the will of God, since he causes those to 
perish whom God was desirous of rendering happy. 
The person who gives scandal, interferes with the 
redemption of man. Jesus Christ came upon earth to 
save souls ; he shed the last drop of his precious blood 
for their redemption ; he who scandalizes them, robs 
him of those souls, that have cost him so dearly ; he 
deprives him of the fruit of his conquest ; he renders 
the shedding of his blood useless to them ,* he exposes 
to infinite misery those for whom Jesus Christ merited 
eternal happiness. 

A young man possesses vuiuous inclinations, is docile 
to^his parents and masters, recollected in prayer, atten- 
tive to all his duties, the object of God^s complacency ; 
but he has the misfortune to associate with a libertine 
who glories in his impiety, who ridicules virtue, and 
those who follow its guidance. The young man, im- 
posed upon by his discoiu'ses, yields to the fear of 
censure and derision, and blushes at virtue. The 
libertine goes farther; he introduces immoral language, 
gives evil counsel, and encourages the commission of 
vice by his scandalous example. The young man 
leams the evil of which he was ignorant, receives bad 
impressions, and, in the end, plunges into the same 
criminal disorders. Behold him now become the slave 
of the same passions, the victim of the same vices. 
God wished to save this soul ; Jesus Christ died for it ; 
^Matt., xviii, 14. 



FIFTH COMMANDMENT. 171 

the sinner who scandalized it, is the cause of its per- 
dition. What chastisements must await him ! Can there 
be any punishment too rigorous for him 1 Miserable sinner! 
you would have a horror to imbrue your hands in the 
blood of your brother, and yet the evil which you have 
done is infinitely greater. You would have been less 
cruel in his regard, had you plunged a dagger into his 
bosom, and deprived him of the life of his body. This 
soul that you have seduced will eternally cry to heaven 
for vengeance against you, and its cries will be heard by 
the Sovereign Judge. Woe, then, to him who teaches 
youthful minds the evil of which they are ignorant ; 
who seduces innocence by his example or conversations 5 
who turns away others from virtue and piety by his 
foolish railleries; or who distributes books pernicious 
to religion and morality. Woe, in fine, to him Vv^ho is 
the cause of scandal, in any way whatever, or who, 
being able, does not prevent it. He is guilty of all 
the sin of which he is the cause, and he shall be pun- 
ished for all the evil which may arise even after his 
death, by means of the scandal he has given. 



Adonibesec having been vanquished by the Israelites, 
they cut off the extremities of his hands and feet. Then 
this barbarous king remembered all the cruelties which 
he himself had perpetuated, and said : ^^ Seventy kings, 
whose fingers and toes I have caused to be cut off, 
gather up the leavings of the meat under my table : 
as I have done, so hath God requited me.'^* 

A young student, who possessed in a high degree all 
the qualities which could be wished for in a young man, 
by a misfortune but too common among persons of his 
age, associated with bad companions, was soon drawn 
from the path of virtue in which he had been trained up, 
and plunged into the very lowest depths of vice. His 
depravity soon became public ; nor had the remonstrance 
of his afflicted family the least influence to induce him 
to cliange his life, and return to the path which he had 
forsaken. God himself, at length, visited him by one of 
* Judges, 1, 7. 



172 DUTIES OF A CHKISTIAX. 

those awfiil strokes of divine vengeance, which, as a 
thunderbolt, fall at last upon the sinner who has long 
slighted his goodness and his mercy. The young man 
awoke one night out of his sleep, screaming so loudly 
and dreadfully, as to tenify all who were in the house. 
His friends ran to his assistance j they did what they 
could to tranquillize and console him 5 they sent for a 
priest, who exhorted him to return to God, and to confide 
in his infinite mercies • — but all in vain : the unfortu- 
nate youth was in the very depth of despair. He cast 
his dying looks wildly around him, and exclaimed, in 
a terrific voice, these awful words : '' Woe to them who 
seduced me ! It is vain for me to invoke the mercy of 
God : I see hell open to receive me ! " Then, turning 
on his side, he expired. Alas ! what multitudes have 
fallen victims to the soul- destroying vice of scandal I — 
Collet. 



Exercises. — 1. What is forbidden by the Fifth Command- 
ment ? — 2. Does the law of God forbid murder only? — 3. Is 
duelling a great crime? — 4. Show that duelling is as contrary to 
humanity as to Christianity. — 5. Make us understand the culpa- 
bility of one who takes away his own life. — 6. Does God confine 
himself to the prohibition of taking away the life of the body f — 
7. In what does scandal consist ? — 8. Illustrate by an example the 
criminality of him who giyes scandal. — 9. What are the fatal 
effects of scandal ? 



CHAPTER VII. 

Of the Sixth Commandment 

" THOU SHALT ^'OT COMMIT ABULTEEY.'^ 

By tlie Sixtli Commandment, God forbids all those 
things which are contrary to pnrity of body and soul. 
Those things the Holy Scripture regards as abominable ; 
and St. Paul does not hesitate to class with idolaters 
those who commit them, and he declares that neither 
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. * 

It is forbidden, by this commandment, to say or do 
any thing contrary to public decency, or against purity. 
^ 1 Cor., yi, 9, 10. 



SIXTH COMMANDMENT. 173 

Hence, it is liiglily criminal to utter obscene words, to 
sing lascivious songs, or even listen to such with 
pleasure : to read books, to write letters or give advice 
tending to inflame the passions ,* to fix the eyes on im- 
modest pictures or statues, or commit any act to please 
or gratify one's disorderly or irregular inclinations. 
There is no sin more opposed to the infinite sanctity of 
God, or which He punishes more severely, than that of 
impurity. Even in this life, He frequently visits those 
who commit it with his vengeance, of which many 
examples are recorded in Holy Writ. In an infidel, it 
would be sinful and punishable, because contrary to the 
light of natural reason ; but, in a Christian, who has 
been regenerated in Jesus Christ, it would be much 
more heinous, because nothing is more at variance with 
the holiness of his profession, and because it outrages the 
Holy Ghost, whose temple it profanes, and our Lord 
Jesus Christ, whose members it sullies. What a crime 
to profane the temple of God ! What a sacrilege to 
dishonor the members of Jesus Christ ! This idea ought 
to fill us with horror ; but we shall confirm ourselves in 
this sentiment if we consider the fatal consequences of 
this sin. It ruins health, dissipates property, and covers 
with infamy those who commit it. A young man addicted 
to this sin, becomes the disgrace of his family, the scandal 
of his neighborhood ,* and either perishes miserably in 
the flower of his age, or drags out a languishing life, in 
ignominy, sorrow, and despair. It also darkens the 
understanding, and renders it incapable of any serious 
application. His heart is even more diseased than his 
mind, and he conceives an almost insurmountable 
disgust for prayer and exercises of piety: in fine, he is 
the carnal man of whom St. Paul speaks, who under- 
stands nothing of the things of God. The sight, even, 
of the good, gives him pain, because it is, as it were, a 
silent censure of his disorders. '' Foi' every one that 
doeth evil," says Jesus Christ, " hateth tlie light." * 

Another dreadful effect of this sin is, that it produces 
a great hardness of heart. The dearest interests have 

* John, iii, 20. 



174 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIA^T. 

no longer any influence ; God's promises and threats 
are alike despised ; eternal happiness or misery makes 
no impression : all are reckoned as nothing. It leads 
even to the loss of faith ; for religion cannot be allied 
to a dissolute life. To stifle remorse and to live 
tranquilly in crime, the unchaste begin to doubt the 
most certain truths, and these doubts soon lead to 
settled unbelief. At last, comes final impenitence ; 
they die in their sins ; they stand before the tribunal 
of God covered with the crimes which sullied their 
whole life ; and they are damned ! Their bones, says 
the Scripture, shall be filled with the vices of their 
youth : they shall sleep with them in the dust of the 
tomb, and accompany them even to hell. 

We are bound to avoid not only this sin, but also 
the occasions that lead to it ; for '^ he that loveth danger, 
shall perish in it.'' * ^^ It is a greater miracle," says 
St. Bernardino of Sienna, " not to fall in the 
occasion of sin, than to raise a dead man to life." The 
following are some of the most dangerous occasions : — 

1st ; Excess in eating and drinking. " Take heed to 
yourselves," says Jesus Christ, " lest, perhaps, your 
hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, 
and the cares of this life : and that day come upon you 
suddenly. For, as a snare shall it come upon all that 
sit upon the face of the whole earth." t Drunkenness 
is, of its own nature, a mortal sin. As to the evil of it, 
in general, the Scripture says : '^ Wine drunken with 
excess raiseth quarrels, and ^Tath, and many ruins. 
Wine drunken with excess is bitterness of the soul." \ 
" Who hath woe ^. whose father hath woe *? who hath 
contentions ? who falleth into pits ? who hath wounds 
without cause ? who hath redness of eyes ? — Surely 
they that pass their time in wine, and study to drink 
ofi" their cups."§ Drunkenness excludes from Heaven ) 
for '^ neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, . . . 

nor drunkards, shall possess the kingdom of God." || 

It leads and exposes one to the greatest crimes and to 

* Eccles., iii; 27. t Luke, xxi, 34. X Eccles.^ xxxi, 38; 39. 
§ Prov., xxiii, 29, 30. || 1 Cor., vi, 9, 10. 



SIXTH COMMA:tTDME:N^T. 175 

the most shameful falls. It changes men into brutes ; 
robs them of their reason ; destroys their health ; brings 
on them many diseases ; shoi'tens their life ; consumes 
iLeir substance ; reduces themselves and their children 
to penury and want; destroys the peace of their 
families; foments their passions and lusts; makes 
them slaves to their sensual inclinations ; renders them 
totally unfit for all spiritual duties ; opens the door to - 
all temptations ; shuts up all access to the grace of 
God ; and when once it has become a habit, it is 
seldom, if ever, cured ; and, finally, it drags the poor 
soul down to hell-fire. 

2d : Idleness. — Because to live in idleness, is to 
expose one^s self to continual temptation. Idleness is 
the fruitful parent of many vices. 

3d : Bad company. — Nothing can be more pernicious 
than the company of such as, having lost all fear of 
God and sense of modesty, try to induce others to 
commit sin either by their discourse or bad example. 
The Holy Ghost, in several parts of Holy Writ, 
admonishes us to shun the company of the wicked, and 
to break ofi* all intercourse with them, since they 
communicate the infection of their vices to all who 
associate with them. 

4th : Bad books. — The reading of bad books occasions 
a thousand dangerous thoughts, and fills the imagination 
with impure images. Through the mind the poison 
passes to the heart, and there begets ruin ' and death. 
One bad book is capable of corrupting a multitude of 
young people ; and, if it be one of those pestiferous 
productions, in which passionate intrigues, lascivious 
anecdotes, and obscene descriptions, are joined with 
impious maxims, calculated to banish the fear of God 
from the soul and undermine its faith, the evil is still 
more fatal and deplorable. Faith is the best safeguard 
of morals. So long as it exists in the soul, there is room 
to hope that virtue may return ; but what is there to 
arrest the onward career of the sinner, when once ho 
has lost the faith *? you, who have hitherto escaped 
the contagion, beware of reading pernicious books ; 



176 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

reject them with horror when they are offered to you. 
Should such a book come into your hands, do not even 
look into it, lest you be tempted to read it. Say not 
that you desire to read it only on account of the instruc- 
tion it contains, or the elegance of its style, since these 
advantages may be derived from better sources, mthout 
danger to morality. Works, combining all the graces 
and ornaments of style, with sound and varied informa- 
tion, are by no means rare. Moreover, all worldly 
advantages would be much too dear, if purchased at 
the price of yom^ innocence and vntue. If you give 
the preference to books which may corrupt you, passion, 
and not reason or religion, dictates the choice. — See Ch. 
XI, Christian Politeness. 

5th : Plays. — It is in theatres that the demon of 
impmity displays his pomps with greatest advantage. 
There, everything breathes an air of voluptuousness, 
everything is calculated to ensnare : nothing, in fine, 
can be more opposed to the spmt of Christianity, which 
is a spirit of purity, modesty, prayer, and penance. 

All, therefore, who would preserve themselves in the 
fear and love of God, must carefully avoid all these 
occasions, be earnest in the holy and necessary exercise 
of prayer, confess frequently to a pious and enlightened 
confessor, have a particular devotion to the Immaculate 
Mother of God, and let no day pass without praying, 
fervently, for the great gift of holy purity. 



All mankind, without distinction of age or sex, 
buried in the waters of the deluge, except Noah and his 
family, because, as the scripture says, ^^ all flesh had 
corrupted its way ; '^ * five infamous cities consumed, 
with all their inhabitants, by fire from heaven ; four 
and twenty thousand Israelites, for the crime of im- 
purity, put to death in a single day, and God, by his 
approval and his recompenses, declaring himself the 
author of this terrible execution j — are evident proofs of 
the horror which the Lord has for this vice, and that, 

* Genesis, vi, 12. 



SEYENTH COMMAIS^DMENT. 177 

even in this life, He frequently visits it with the most 
rigorous chastisements. 

Fathers and mothers, masters and mistresses, if you 
see a dangerous book in the hands of your children or 
domestics, have, at least, the zeal of Diderot ,• that is not 
too much to expect. Snatch, as he did, with indig- 
nation, from the hands of those you love, every book 
in which religion and piety are not respected. It was 
his own work that the infidel could not bear to see, for 
an instant, in the hands of his daughter. How well 
may we say to him : ^^ If your doctrines are so danger- 
ous, as you now appear to allow, why diffuse them over 
the world ? Why would you circulate, among the 
great family of mankind, those poisons, which you 
judge so dangerous for your own ? ^^ — Merault. 

— Exercises. — 1. What does God forbid by the Sixth com- 
mandment? — 2. Why is the sin condemned by this command- 
ment, so great a crime, especially in a Christian 1 — 3. What 
are the fatal consequences of this sin 1 — 4. What other ravages 
does this sin make in the heart of the person who has become its 
slave? — 5. Are we boan<l to avoid the occasions of this sin ? — 
6. What are the ordinary occasions of impurity ? — 7. Name the 
fatal effects of excess in eating and drinking, — 8 . Why is idle- 
ness an occasion of this sin ? — 9. Is had company very pernicious ? 
— 10. Explain to us the great danger of reading had hooks. — 
11. What is the best safeguard of morals ? — 12. Are plays, such 
as theatres, &c., very dangerous occasions of this sin ? — 13. 
What means should they take who desire to preserve themselves 
in the fear and love of God ? 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Of the Seventh Commandment, 

" THOU SHALT NOT STEAL." 

We are forbidden, by the Seventh Commandment, 
to take or keep unjustly what belongs to another : God 
being the Sovereign Master of all things, distributes 
the goods of this earth to his creatures, as best pleases 
Him ; and He strictly requires that we respect the order 
his providence has established, and that we take not 
from othc^rs what lie has given them. This law is 






178 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIA]^. 

written in our heart ; if we read it, we shall find, that 
we should not do to others what we would not wish 
others to do unto us. Were a person to take what 
belongs to us, we would accuse him of injustice, and it 
would be such in reality^ but another has the same 
right to complain of us, if we do not observe the laws 
of justice towards him. Without justice, society could 
not subsist. It is, therefore, forbidden us to wrong our 
neighbor in his goods, in any way whatever. 

''' Thieves, ^^ St. Paul affirms, '^ shall not possess the 
kingdom of God." * It is an injustice to take the goods 
of others by surprise or violence. It is also an injustice 
to take them by fraud ; that is, to deceive one's neighbors 
as to the weight, quality, or quantity, of the commodity 
we sell him. 

Children are forbidden to take the goods of their 
parents, without their consent. To do so is a theft 
against which the Holy Ghost speaks in the strongest 
terms, in the Holy Scripture. He declares that he who 
steals anything from his father or from his mother, and 
says that it is no sin, is the partner of a murderer, t 
What else can this mean than that the young libertine 
who robs his parents to gratify his passions, wishes for 
the inheritance and the enjoyment of their goods 
before their death, which does not come soon enough 
for his wishes j thus giving evidence of a heart destitute 
of every sentiment of filial affection. 

It is unjust to contract debts which we have not suffi- 
cient probability of being able to pay, or to retain the 
goods of others, by not discharging what we owe, or by 
not paying, in due time, the wages of servants and 
workmen. ^^ If any man hath done any work for thee, " 
said old Tobias to his son, ^^ immediately pay him his 
hire, and let not the wages of thy hired servant stay 
with thee at all. '^ J 

It is also unjust to take usury, to retain what has 
been entrusted to our custody, or to appropriate to our- 
selves, without the owner's consent, anything we may 
have found. It is likewise unjust to cause any damage 

* L Cor., vi, 10. f Prov., xxviii. 24. t Tobias, iv, 15. 



SEVENTH comma:n'dme:n^t. 179 

to our neighbor in liis property , by injuring or destroying 
what belongs to him 5 and the injustice is the same, 
whether we do the injury ourselves, or cause others to 
do it. 

When we have taken anything from a neighbor, or 
have done him injury, it is not sufficient to repent of it, 
and beg pardon of God ; we must also restore what we 
have taken and repair the injury we have caused. 
Without this reparation, there is no pardon to be hoped 
for, no salvation to be expected; for we cannot enter 
into Heaven possessed of the goods of others. When 
not able to make restitution, there should be, at least, a 
sincere will to acquit ourselves of this obligation as 
soon as possible, and we should use every effort to place 
ourselves in a condition to do so. 

This commandment also obliges, to give alms accord- 
ing to our means and the necessities of the poor. The 
Wise Man admonishes us, that we ought to assist the poor 
and not abandon them in their poverty. St. John says, 
that ^^he that hath the substance of this world, and 
shall see his brother in need, and shall shut up his 
bowels from him ; how doth the charity of God abide 
in him?"t and our Lord Jesus Christ will condemn to 
eternal fire those who refuse to relieve him in the persons 
of the poor. 

Although by alms-giving is understood the distribut- 
ing of a share of our temporal goods to the poor, there 
is another species of almsdeeds more meritorious, which 
consists in relieving the neighbor in his spiritual necessi- 
ties. All men are not in a condition to relieve the bodily 
wants of the poor, but all can render spiritual assistance, 
and contribute to his salvation by good example, by 
instruction, or by procuring him instruction. This duty 
devolves especially on parents and such as are charged 
with the instruction of others, or who, by their station, 
are obliged to labor for their neighbor's sanctilication. 
To save the life of a famishing creature is, doubtless, a 
great charity ; but to contribute to the everlasting salva- 
tion of a soul, is a work whose value shall be known only 
* 1 John; iii; 17. 



180 DUTIES OF A CHBISTIAX. 

in the next life, and whicli can never be sufficiently ap- 
preciated in this. ^^He/^ says St. James, ^^whocauseth 
a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, 
shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multi- 
tude of sins.''* ^^They that are learned,'' says the 
prophet Daniel, '^ shall shine as the brightness of the 
firmament 5 and they that instruct many to justice, as 
stars for all eternity." t 



A poor Chinese Christian found, in one of the streets 
of Pekin, a purse containing twenty pieces of gold. He 
looked around, hoping to find a claimant ; and, think- 
ing it might have fallen from a gentleman on horse- 
back, who had just passed, he ran after him, and asked 
if he had lost anything. The gentleman searched his 
pockets, and missing his purse, replied in a tremulous 
voice, " Yes 5 I have lost my purse, containing twenty 
pieces of gold." ^^Ee not disturbed," said the poor 
man ] '^ here it is, with the twenty pieces." The gentle- 
man, recovering from his alarm, could not but admire 
so noble an action, in a man of humble condition. 
" But who are you ?" said he ,• ^^ what is your name 1 — 
where do you live?" "It matters little," said the poor 
man, " for you to know who I am ; it is sufficient to 
tell you, that I am a Christian, — one of those who 
make profession of observing the law of the Gospel, 
which forbids, not only to steal the goods of others, but 
even to keep what may be found by chance, when the 
OTNTier can be discovered." The gentleman was so 
struck with the ' purity of Christian morality, that he 
went immediately to the Church of the Christians, in 
order to receive instruction in the mysteries of our 
religion. — Lettees Edifiantes. 

A well-known usurer being at the hour of death, sent 
for a confessor, who told him that, his goods having 
been unjustly acquired, he was absolutely bound to 
restitution. ^^ But what shall become of my children ?" 
said the dying man. ^^ The salvation of your soul 
ought to be much dearer to you," said the confessor, 



i 



* James, v. 20. t Dan., xii, 3. J 



EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. 181 

^^tlian the fortune of your family.'^ ^^I cannot per- 
suade myself to do what you require ; I cannot do it/' 
replied the unfortunate man , — and in a few moments 
after he expired ! How awful a death ! How much it 
should cause those to tremble, who have acquired the 
goods which they possess by fraud and injustice. — 
Cathechisme de l' Empire. 



Exercises. — 1. What is forbidden by the Seventh Command- 
ment ? — 2. On what is the respect we owe our neighbor's property 
founded ? — 3. Are children forbidden to take the goods of their 
parents without their consent? — 4. Is it just to retain the wages 
of servants and workmen ? — 5. Name some other actions which 
are unjust? — 6. What is required of a person who has taken or 
injured his neighbor's goods ? — 7. To what does this commandment 
also oblige us ? — 8. How may alms-giving be supplied ? — 9. What 
shall be the reward of those who contribute to the salvation of 
others? 



CHAPTER IX. 

Of the Eighth Commandment 

^ thou SHALT KOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST 



THY NEIGHBOR 



?? 



The Eight Commandment forbids all false testi- 
monies, rash judgments, and lies^ it also forbids all 
words or reports hurtful to our neighbor's honor or 
reputation. 

God is truth itself: whatever, therefore, violates 
truth, offends Him. Hence the prohibition, never to 
speak contrary to truth, so frequently repeated in the 
holy Scriptures. The vice of lying is subversive of 
social intercourse, and is opposed to God's beneficent 
design in confemng the gift of speech. For we are 
endowed with this faculty, that we may, by its means, 
communicate truth to our neighbor ; but, by lies, we 
are guilty of deception, and thus lead him into error. 
Even pagans felt the force of this principle, and many 
of them were remarkable for their abliorrence of lying 
and deceit. A lie, when uttered even in jest, or to 
promote our own or our neighbor's advantage, is unlaw- 



182 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAI^. 

ful and inexcusable ; but the sin is far greater, wben it 
prejudices the neighbor in his character — for example, 
by attributing to liim some vice to which he is not 
addicted, or by laying to his charge some fault which 
he has not committed. 

This species of lie is called calumny — a crime which 
shocks every upright mind by its detestable meanness 
and malice. The Scripture, speaking of calumniators, 
says : '^ Their throat is an open sepulchre ; with their 
tongues they have dealt deceitfully. The venom 
of asps is under their Kps." * ^^ They have whetted 
their tongues like a sword ] they have bent their bow 
to shoot in secret the undefiled.'^ t 

^' A good name, " says the Wise Man, " is better 
than great riches ; and good favor is above silver and 
gold : ^^ \ but it is of his reputation and honor that the 
calumniator robs his neighbor ; and it exceedingly 
aggravates the calumny and completes its enormity, 
when it is affirmed on oath and in a court of justice. 
The false witness, besides the atrocious injury which he 
does to the innocent party, is guilty of a horrible 
impiety against God, whose awful name he profanes, 
by making it serve as the support of perjury and in- 
justice. Those who have injured their neighbor by 
lying reports must repair the injustice they have done 
him, and all the consequences of that injustice. They 
must re-establish his good name ] and this cannot be 
done but by an avowal of his innocence as public as 
the calumny had been. To restore the reputation 
w^hich they have unjustly tarnished, they must sacrifice 
their own. Eightly, then, does the Scriptm'e say, that 
the tongue of the slanderer is a two-edged sword. 

This commandment also forbids detraction ; that is, 
making known, without necessity, the evil which our 
neighbor has committed. So long as the fault is secret, 
or known only to a few, he has not forfeited his good 
name; and, if we publish his fault, we unjustly deprive 
him of his reputation. Would we wish that our own 
hidden sins should be divulged f No, certainly. We 
* Rom., iii, 13. t Ps., Ixiii, 4. X Prov., xxii; 1. 



EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. 183 

ought, then, to be silent regarding those of others. 
^^ Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbor ? let it 
die within thee, trusting that it will not burst thee." * 

'^ My son, have nothing to do with detractors ; 

for their destruction shall rise suddenly." t Detraction, 
like fire borne onwards by the wind, passes from mouth 
to moath,and, what it does not destroy, it blackens. It 
is a restless evil, which foments dissensions in families, 
and fills them with confusion. It is an empoisoned 
source of hatred and revenge, and the occasion of 
numberless sins. ^^ The whisperer and the double- 
tongued is accursed j for he hath troubled many that 
were at peace." | 

The detractor is guilty of all the sins which he has 
occasioned ; he has sinned in those who have mentioned 
the detraction after him ; he has sinned even in those 
who heard him ; for it is forbidden, not only to speak 
ill of our neighbor, but even to listen to the evil spoken 
of him. If none would listen, there would be none to 
detract. The pleasure with which detractors are listened 
to, encourages and hardens them, and, therefore, the 
listeners become participators in their guilt. 

Of all kinds of detraction, the worst, in its conse- 
quences, is that of telling one person in secret what 
another has said or done against him. Reports of this 
kind almost invariably beget, in the heart of him who 
hears them, hatred and a desire of revenge, which, 
lifbst generally, terminate in irreconcilable enmity. 
The accused, not knowing what has been related of 
him, has no means of justifying or explaining himself, 
or of making satisfaction. '' Six things there are, 
which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul 
detesteth, — him that soweth discord among brethren." § 

It is, however, allowable to discover the faults of our 
neighbor when they are contagious, that they may not 
be productive of injury to others. But, even then, we 
should discover them to those only who can apply a 
remedy to the evil, or for the purpose of guarding others 

* Eccles., xix, 10. t Prov., xxiv; 21, 22. X Eccles., xxviii, 15. 
^S Pro v., vi, 16, 19. 



184 DUTIES or A CHEISTIAl^^. 

against its influence. Far fi'om wounding charity by so 
doing, we, on the contrary, discharge a duty the most 
natural and the most necessary 5 and it is, in reality, 
loving our neighbor, to prevent him from destroying 
himself, or causing the destruction of others. It is 
charity to prefer his salvation and that of others, to any 
reputation he may have acquked. 

Although detraction is 'less criminal than calumny, 
yet its consequenceis are sometimes more fatal, as the 
injury it does our neighbor is almost UTcparable. When 
a person has calumniated another, he can and ought to 
retract the calumny, and thus heal the wound he has 
inflicted, and restore his neighbor's reputation ; but 
when the evil reported of his neighbor is true, it cannot 
be retracted Tvdthout a lie, the telling of which can never 
be permitted. And though a person should repent of 
the sin of detraction, it is almost impossible for him to 
repair the injmy it has done. The injury must, how- 
ever, be repaired as far as possible, by telling of the 
injured party whatever can be said truly to his advan- 
tage, in order thus to efiace, or, at least, weaken, the 
bad impression which the detraction may have made. 

By the Eighth Commandment, we are forbidden, not 
only to speak ill of our neighbor, but also to entertain 
a bad opinion of him, without just cause. We are not 
permitted to judge om' neighbor upon weak e\ddence or 
equivocal appearances, since we would thereby expose 
ourselves to condemn the innocent. The judging eYil 
of our neighbor, without sufficient grounds, is the sin of 
rash judgment As long as he is not convicted, he has 
a right to our esteem, of which we cannot deprive him 
without injustice, except for just reasons. Rash judg- 
ment is no less contrary to charity than it is to justice. 
Charity inclines us to think advantageously of our 
brethren, to interpret their actions favorably, and to 
excuse whatever is not manifestly bad. " Charity," 
says the Apostle, ^Hhinketh no evil;"* — it sees no 
crime until it is evident, nor believes it until it is proved. 
When a person loves another, he is more disposed to 
* 1 Cor., xiii. 5. 



EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. 185 

believe him innocent than guilty of any crime with 
which he may be charged. Would we wish that, with- 
out sufficient reason, we were judged guilty of some 
criminal action ? No, undoubtedly. Let us not, then, 
do to others what we would not wish to have done to 
ourselves. It would be a judgment still more rash 
and criminal, to attribute bad intentions to actions in 
themselves good and laudable, and to suppose vicious 
motives in those whose exterior conduct is regular and 
edifying. Nothing, however, is more ordinary than to 
see malignity spread its poison over actions the most 
virtuous. This evil disposition, which sees vice under 
the appearance of virtue, can come. but from a sinful 
and corrupt heart. Good people judge of others by 
themselves j as they are upright and sincere, they easily 
believe that others are so too ; they are edified by those 
whose comportment bespeaks their hidden virtue ; nor 
does it ever enter their mind, that their religious exterior 
conceals a heart enslaved to hypocrisy and pride. Oc- 
cupied with their own defects, of which they are to render 
an account, they pay no attention to those of others 5 
and, by this charitable conduct towards their neighbor, 
they provide for themselves a favorable judgment at 
the tribunal of God ; for Jesus Christ has promised, 
that he will judge us in the same manner we shall have 
judged others. 



St. Augustine, in order to prevent detraction, which 
most common at time of meals, c 
lines to be written over his table :- 



is most common at time of meals, caused the following 



''This board allows no vile detractor place, 
Whose tongue shall charge the absent with disgrace." 

Some of his friends having, one day, begun to speak 
of the defects of others, the saint expressed his dissatis- 
faction, and told them, if they did not desist, he should 
instantly blot out those lines, or withdraw from table. 
Thus ought every Christian to oppose finnly, and with 
all his influence, the utterance of calumny or detraction. 
— PossiDius. 



186 DUTIES OF A cheistia:n". 

Exercises. — 1. What sins are prohibited bj the Eighth Com- 
mandment '? — 2. Why is the vice of lying so despicable in the eyes 
of God and so odious to man ? — 3. What species of lie is the 
most criminal? — 4. What language does the holy Scripture 
apply to calumniators ? — 5. What is it that completes the enormity 
of calumny ? — 6. What is required of those who have injured 
their neighbor by false reports ? — 7. What is detraction f — 8. 
What are the sad consequences of detraction ? — 9. What is the 
worst kind of detraction f 



CHAPTER X. 

Of tlie Ninth Commandment 

"thou SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR'S 'WirE.'' 

God having, by the Sixth Commandment, forbidden 
all exterior actions contrary to purity, forbids by the 
Ninth all thoughts and desires opposed to this virtue. 
To abstain from sinful actions, is not sufficient for the 
accomplishment of God's law ; the very deshe of what 
is forbidden is criminal. God, who sounds the hearts 
of men, is not content with exterior purity j he wills 
that our very heart be pure. He will not permit us to 
desire that which He commands us to avoid. An evil 
thought defiles the soul, when it is deliberate and is 
consented to ; that is, when entertained with reflection 
and delectation, it renders us guilty of sin. Evil 
thoughts, says the Scripture, separate from God. They 
inflict death on the soul, if they are not rejected as soon 
as perceived. Thus, the law of God goes to the root 
of the evil ; it stifles it in its very bhth. Experience 
shows that no one falls, all at once, into the commission 
of criminal actions, but gradually. The evil com- 
mences with a thought ; from this, reflected on, springs 
desire ] and from desire, proceeds the external act. 
^^ For from the heart,'' says the Savior of the world, 
'^ come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, forni- 
cations, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These 
are the things that defile a man." * Our divine Master 
places bad thoughts at the head of all crimes, because 
* Matt., XV, 19, 20. 



NINTH COMMANDMENT. 187 

they are their principle and source. The true means, 
then, to prevent the desire of evil, is to reject the 
thought of it J and to prevent the evil action is to stifle 
the desire. We cannot, indeed, prevent bad thoughts 
from entering our imagination, but it is in our power 
not to give occasion to them j and, when they do 
present themselves, we can, with the help of God, resist 
them, and refuse them the consent of our wdll. We 
must not expect, in this life, a peace exempt from 
combat. Virtue does not consist in never beino^ 
attacked, but it consists in resisting courageously all 
the assaults of our passions, and in never giving 
occasion to temptation. If, notwithstanding our 
vigilance, temptation presents itself, w^e must turn away 
our attention, raise our heart to God, and apply our- 
selves to some useful occupation. Let the devil find 
you always employed, and his darts will fall harmlessly 
at your feet. Be faithful, and fear nothing. If the 
demon importune you, and seek to terrify you, listen 
not to him, and he will be vanquished. Attach your- 
self to God ; He will never suffer you to be tempted 
above your strength. A temptation which you resist, 
does you no injury ; it rather affords subject for triumph, 
and matter for eternal recompense. 

St. Liguori, treating, in his ^^ Precepts of the Deca- 
logue," on the remedies against impure temptation, 
says: ^^ When an impure image is presented to the 
mind, we must immediately endeavor to turn our 
thoughts to God, or to something which is indifferent. 
But the best rule is, instantly to invoke the names of 
Jesus and Mary, and to continue to invoke them until 
the temptation ceases, or, at least, till it becomes weak. 
When the temptation is violent, it is useful to renew 
our purpose of never consenting to any sin, saying, Mt/ 
God, I wish to die rather than offend Thee. And then let 
us ask aid ; Mt/ Jesus, assist me / Mary, pray for me. 
The names of Jesus and Mary have special power to 
banish the temptation of the devil.^' The same holy 
writer, in speaking of the devotion to the Mother of 
God, as a salutary remedy, reconnnends the practice of 



188 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

saying every morning tliree Hail Marys, in honor of 
the purity of the Blessed Virgin, in order to obtain, 
through her intercession, the grace of efficaciously 
resisting impure temptations. Having shown the 
efficacy of this means by some examples, he concludes 
by saying : ^^ Let each one practise this little devotion, 
of saying three Hail Marys in honor of the Blessed 
Virgin, adding after each Hail Mary, Through ihy pure 
and immaculate conception^ Mary^ obtain for me 
purity and sanctity of hody and soiilP After enumerat- 
ing various remedies against the detestable and 
dangerous vice of impurity, he adds, ^^ But the first of 
all is to avoid the occasions of sin.'' It is, moreover, 
necessary to have a great diffidence in ourselves, and 
an unlimited confidence in God. 



St. Bernardino, of Sienna, had so great a horror of all 
that could, in the slightest degree, wound chastity, that 
he blushed when any of his companions used any word 
contrary to the strictest propriety. His presence alone 
was sufficient to restrain them j and, on seeing him ap- 
proach, they used to say, ^^ Hush ! hush ! Bernardine is 
coming.'' 



Exercises. — 1. What does God foi-bid by the Ninth Com- 
mandment ? — 2. \Yliy are evil desires condemned ? — 3. What is 
the best means to })revent evil desires ? — 4. Does virtue consist in 
never being tempted? — 5. If, notwithstanding our vigilance, 
temptation presents itself^ Tvhat must we do ? — 6. What remedies 
does St. Liguori prescribe against impure temptations % — 1, What 
practice does the same holy writer recommend on this subject f 



CHAPTER XI. 
Of the Tenth Commandment 

" THOU SHALT If OT COVET THY ITEIGHBOR'S GOODS.^ 

God having forbidden, by the Seventh Command- 
ment, to take or retain the goods of another, forbids, by 
the Tenth, the deshe of possessing them to his prejudice. 
Remai'k here the essential difference between the laws 



TENTH COMMANDMENT. 189 

of God and tliose of man. The laws of man regulate 
only the exterior action^ because man sees only the 
exterior ; but the law of God forbids even the most 
secret thoughts and desires, because God sees the 
bottom of the heart. It is not forbidden to desire the 
goods of others, when we propose to obtain them legiti- 
mately and with their consent ; for, otherwise, we 
could not purchase anything. When a person buys a 
house or land, it is from a desire to possess it j but this 
desire is perfectly legitimate, when, to become master of 
it, he employs no other than just means, and such as 
have the sanction of the law. This commandment for- 
bids the desire of acquiring unjustly what belongs to 
our neighbor, an irregular attachment to riches, over- 
eagerness to acquire them, and that cupidity which St. 
Paul calls the root and beginning of every evil, and 
against which the prophet Isaiah exclaims in the follow- 
ing terms : '^ Woe to you that join house to house, and 
lay field to field, even to the end of place : shall you 
alone dwell in the midst of the earth ? ^^ * 

Nothing is more opposed to the spirit of the Gospel 
than that avidity for riches which ever desires to acquire, 
is ever discontented with its acquisitions, is in continual 
apprehension of their suffering any diminution, and 
which amasses and accumulates, as if this earth were in- 
tended to be man's everlasting dwelling-place. A man 
addicted to this base passion, is solely occupied with 
the care of gratifying it. It is the subject of his 
thoughts by da}^, and even by night. While vainly 
endeavoring to procure happiness, which, he imagines, 
is to be found in the possession of wealth, he renders 
himself miserable, aud consumes his years in perpetual 
torment. 

^^ There is not," sa^^s the Scripture, " a more wicked 
thing than to love money ; for such a one setteth even 
his own soul to sale.'' t What injustice, what violence, 
what fraud, does not this passion occasion ! The covet- 
ous man counts as nothing conscience and salvation, 
provided he increases his treasure : in a word, money 
"^ lyiiin.li., V, 8. tEccles.y x, 10. 



190 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

is his Grod, and he recognizes no other. Hence, St. 
Paul calls this passion an " idolatry ; '' * and our Bless- 
ed Savior^ in his Gospel^ declares, that ^^no one can 
serve two masters/^ '' You cannot/^ he subjoins, " serve 
God and mammon.'^ t 

Our Lord does not, however, forbid the possession of 
riches, since his providence bestows them upon us ; but 
He forbids us to ^' set our heart upon them,'^ or to make 
our happiness consist in their possession. Riches are 
not condemned, but the inordinate desire of acquiring 
them. Shall it be afhrmed, that transitory perishable 
goods, which are acquired with a thousand pains, and 
preserved with an infinity of solicitude ; which, one day, 
we shall part with in spite of us — entirely and for ever 
— whilst our grief for their loss shall be in proportion 
to the attachment which we bear them: — shall it be 
said, then, that goods of such a nature, and such a 
tenure, are calculated to confer happiness on their pos- 
sessors ? Well is it for the rich who obey the wise 
injunction of the holy King David: "If riches 
abound, set not your heart upon them.'^ f 

But, if it has pleased God that you be not in opulence, 
be satisfied with your condition ; envy not the rich, 
against whom a woe has been pronounced, since they 
have their consolation here 5 covet not their wealth, since 
^^ it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a 
needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom 
of heaven." § On the contrary, "the poor in spirit" 
are declared " blessed ; for theirs is the kingdom of 
heaven." || Follow, therefore, the counsel of our 
divine Redeemer : " Lay not up to yourselves treasures 
on earth, where the rust and moth consume, and where 
thieves break through and steal ; but lay up to your- 
selves treasures in heaven, where neither the rust nor 
moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break 
through, nor steal. For where thy treasure is there is 
thy heart also." ^ 



*Ephes., V, 5. tMatt., vi^ 24. tPs. Ixi, 11. §Matt., xix, 24. 
II Matt., V, 3. H Matt., vi; 19-21. 



TENTH COMMANDMENT. 191 

PythiuSj a king of Lydia, was exceedingly avari- 
cious j and, though he had amassed great treasures, he 
expended nothing more than was requisite for the mere 
necessaries of life. His queen, who was a person of 
good sense, took the following method, in order to 
correct him of this vice : — On a certain day, when 
P^^thius returned hungry from the exercise of the chase, 
she ordered his attendants to place before hiin dishes 
filled with gold, newly taken from the mines. The 
prince, charmed with the sight of so much gold, looked 
at it for some moments with the utmost complacency. 
His hunger, however, increasing, he called for food. 
^^ How ! ^^ said the queen, ^^do you not see before you 
what you love best in the world V^ '' What can you 
mean ? '^ rejoined the king : ^^ gold cannot surely stay my 
hunger." ^^ Then, is it not great folly," said the queen, 
" to have such a passion for a thing which is utterly 
useless when shut up in your coffers ? Believe me, 
gold is of real service to those only who judiciously 
exchange it for the conveniences of life." Pythius felt 
the full force of the lesson, to the great relief of his 
oppressed subjects ; and from that time he became as 
liberal, as he had before been avaricious. 

Tobias, when he was blind, hearing the bleating of 
a young kid which his wife had purchased with money 
obtained by the labor of her hands, became alarmed 
lest it might have been stolen, and said to her : ^^ Take 
heed lest perhaps it be stolen ; restore ye it to its 
owners, for it is not lawful for us either to eat or to 
touch anything that conieth by theft." * When he 
imagined his last end approaching, he gave tliis advice 
to his son : ^^ If any man hath done any work for 
thee, immediately pay him his hire, and let not the 
wages of thy hired servant stay with thee at all." t 



Exercises. — 1. Show us the essential difFerence which exists 
between the laws of God and those of man. — 2. When is it not 
forbidden to desire the goods of others'? — 3. What does this 
comnumdnient forbid? — 4. Is avidity for riches opposed to the 

"" Tobias, ii, 21. r Ibid., iV; 15. 



192 DUTIES OF A CHKISTIAIsr. 

spirit of the Gospel? — 5. What are the effects of the ardent desire 
we may have to enrich ourselves ? — 6. Does our Lord forbid the 
possession of riches ? — 7. How should we possess riches that thej 
may not be detrimental to our soul ? 



CHAPTER XIL 

OE THE PRECEPTS OF THE CHITRCH. 

The Olinrcli has received power to command the 
faithful, and they are bound to obey her^ because, being 
guided by the Holy Spirit, she speaks to us by divine 
authority. God will not regard as his children, those 
who respect her not as their mother. This power of 
commanding resides in the pastors, whoni He has ap- 
pointed to rule and govern his Church, and to whom 
He has said : ^^ He that heareth you, heareth me ; and 
he that despiseth you, despiseth me ; '^ * and again : ^^ If 
he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the 
heathen and publican." t This power which the 
Church received from her divine Founder, she has never 
ceased to exercise. From the first dawning of Christi- 
anity, the apostles have issued their ordinances ; and 
we read in the Acts of the Apostles, that St. Paul went 
from city to city prescribing their observance, and that 
the early Christians received and obeyed them with 
cheerfulness. To refuse submission to those who govern 
in the name of God, would be to refuse submission to 
God himself. There are six precepts of the Church, 
and these every Catholic is bound to observe. 

A person who, it was supposed, entertained strong 
prejudices against the decisions of the Holy See, was 
once addi'essed by a friend, in the following words: 
^^ Favor me with your advice j what opinions should I 
embrace 1 Should I hold those of the Pope, or ought 
I conform to yours ? " The other at once replied, 
"Hold firmly on the trunk of the tree, and never 
separate yourseK from it.'' — Lasaitsse. 

* Luke, X, 16. t Matt., xviii 17. 



FESTIVALS OF THE CHURCH. 193 

^' If we keep the Commandments of God/' said a 
Catholic, who had long neglected his religious duties, 
'^ He will not condemn us for our disregard of those of 
the Church.'^ The reply which was made him is 
worthy of remembrance : ^^ I have never known any 
one who despised the commands of the Church, to 
observe faithfully the commands of God.'' — Lasausse. 

Exercises. — 1. Has the Church received the power to com- 
mand the faithful, and are we bound to obey her f — 2. Has the 
Church always exercised this power ? — 3. How many precepts 
of the Church are there ? 



SECTION I. 

FIEST PRECEPT. — " TO HEAR MASS ON SUNDAYS 



?7 



a:n^d all holydats of obligatiois-. 
Of the Festivals of the Church, 

The first precept of the Church obliges us to sanctify 
the festivals which she has instituted^ by abstaining 
from servile work^ and applying ourselves to works of 
piety and religion. Some of these feasts have been 
established to celebrate the mysteries of our Lord^s life 
on earthj — his Incarnation, Nativity, Circumcision, 
Manifestation to the Gentiles, his Resurrection and 
Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Ghost, and the 
institution of the Blessed Eucharist. 

These mysteries are the sources of all the graces we 
received from God, and of the salvation for which we 
hope ; their remembrance ought to excite in us lively 
sentiments of gratitude, adoration, and confidence, and 
animate us to participate in their fruits by an increase 
of faith, hope, and love. The other feasts are destined 
to honor, in the Blessed Virgin and the saints, the 
graces with which God has favored them, and the glory 
with which their fidelity has been crowned. On those 
days, their principal virtues are proposed to us, that, by 
the remembrance of their ineffable happiness, we may 
be encouraged to imitate their example. Penetrated 

9 






194 DUTIES or A CHRISTIAN. 

witli a sense of our own weakness, of which our experi- 
ence continually admonishes us, we beg of them to use 
thek influence with God to obtain for us, through the mer- 
its of our common Mediator, the grace of walking in their 
footsteps, in order that we may arrive at that eternal 
felicity which they now enjoy. Such is the object 
of the Church in calling to our mind the great benefits 
of God, and placing before our view the example of 
his saints. 

God, in the Old Law, prescribed to the Israelites a 
number of festivals, to perpetuate the remembrance of 
the wonders which He had wrought in their favor. On 
this divine model, the festivals of the Christian Church 
have been instituted, in order to honor God, to instruct 
the faithful, and to nourish their piety. The majesty of 
the divine offices, the sermons, the holy canticles with 
which, on these days, the temples of God resound, trans- 
port us in spirit to the times, and places in which the 
mysteiies we celebrate were accomplished, and we adore 
our Lord in them as if they actually passed before our 
eyes. These grand objects, rendered thus present by 
our faith, and seconded by the instructions and exhorta- 
tions of our pastors, increase our fervor and piety. 
These festivals are, moreover, an occasion for the most 
simple among the faithful, and even for children them- 
selves, to be instructed in the particular mystery that is 
celebrated, and to learn its history. The Church com- 
mands her pastor to teach these truths to the people, 
and fathers and mothers are strictly charged to teach 
them to their children. This is what God himself 
prescribed to the Israelites. Moses having commanded 
them, on the part of God, to saciifice every year the 
paschal lamb, and to celebrate the feast of the Azymes, 
he added : " And when your children shall say to you, 
What is the meaning of this service ? you shall say to 
them : It is the victim of the passage of the Lord, when 
He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in 
Egypt, striking the Egyptians, and saving our houses."* 

To sanctify the feasts of the Church, we should enter 
* Exodus.; xii, 26, 27. 



FESTIVALS OF THE CHUECH. 195 

into her spirit, meditate attentively on tlie mystery 
which she celebrates, or on the life of the saint whom 
she commemorates, thank God for his benefits, and im- 
plore grace to make a profitable use of them. We 
should, on the festivals of the saints, excite ourselves to 
the practice of the virtues for which they were respec- 
ively most conspicuous, that we may merit a participation 
in the happiness which they now enjoy ; and we should 
pray them to intercede for us with God, that we may 
obtain the graces necessary to secure our perseverance in 
his holy service. 

The impious Nicanor, that furious enemy of God's 
people, having resolved to attack the Jews on the 
Sabbath day, the Jews that were constrained to follow 
him, said : " Do not act so fiercely and barbarously, but 
give honor to the day that is sanctified ] and reverence 
Him that beholdeth all things." Then ^^that unhappy 
man,'' pufied up with an opinion of his own greatness 
and power, "asked, if there were a Mighty One in 
heaven, that had commanded the Sabbath day to be 
kept. And when they answered : There is the living 
Lord himself in Heaven, the Mighty One, that com- 
manded the seventh day to be kept. Then he said : 
And I am mighty upon the earth, and I command you 

to take arms, and to do the king's business But 

Machabeus ever trusted with all hope, that God would 
help them. And he exhorted his people not to fear 
the coming of the nations — . and now to hope for 
victory from the Almighty." Meanwhile, " Nicanor, 
and they that were with him, came forward with 
trumpets and songs," and commenced the fight. But, 
in punishment of his impiety, his great army was totally 
overthrown by a handful, under the command of the 
valiant Judas. Nicanor himself was slain, with thirty- 
five thousand of his men, and his blasphemous tongue 
cut out, and given by pieces to birds. — 2 Machabees, 
ch. XV. 



196 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

Exercises. — 1. "What does the first precept of the Church 
ordain? — 2. How are the feasts, instituted hy the Church, 
divided? — 3. What sentiments should the rememhrance of the 
mysteries celebrated on the feasts of our Lord, excite in us? — 
4. Why are there feasts in honor of the saints? — 5. On what 
model have the festivals of the Christian Church been instituted ? 
— 6. What should we do to sanctify the feasts of the Church ? 



SECTION II. 

Of the Hearing of Mass, 

Of all the works of piety by which we can sanctify 
Sundays and holydays, the hearing of Mass is, certainly, 
the first, and the most indispensa.ble. The Church has 
expressly commanded it. Sacrifice is the noblest act of 
religion, and that which renders to God the most per- 
fect homage. The obligation of assisting at Mass, on 
every day consecrated to his worship, is coeval with 
Christianity. We read in the Acts of the Apostles, that 
on the first day of the week the faithful assembled for 
the breaking of bread ; that is, to ofier the holy Victim, 
and to participate thereof. To satisfy this obligation, 
we must not only be present in body, but must hear 
the Mass with attention, respect, and piety. We should 
unite ourselves with the priest who speaks to God in 
the name of all who assist at the holy sacrifice, and 
ofier ourselves in union with Jesus Christ, and the 
whole Church. To be wilfully distracted at Mass, to 
look curiously about, or to indulge in conversation, 
would not be hearing Mass, nor fulfilling the precept 
of the Chinch : it would be ofiering an outrage to Jesus 
Christ ; that is, renewing the opprobriums of Calvar}^, 
and dishonoring religion. We should, therefore, occupy 
om'selves in prayer, during the whole time of Mass, and 
we would do well to use a book, a pair of beads, or 
some other means of fixing the attention. 

To sanctify the Sundays and holydays, the hearing 
of Mass alone is not sufficient j we should also assist, 
if in our power, at some of the other exercises of the 
Church, — as vespers, sermon, &c. ,• and should spend 



THE HEAKING OF MASS. 197 

some time in praj^er, pious reading, and in performing 
some of tlie spiritual or corporal works of mercy : 
instructing the ignorant in the way of salvation is 
specially recommended. The Church, in placing the 
hearing of Mass as the first duty of religion, does not 
exempt us from the others ; and if she enforces more 
strictly this obligation, it is only because it is the most 
important, and that which, without strong reasons, can 
never be dispensed with. 



The persecutions which the Christians unaerwent, 
did not prevent them from celebrating the feasts of the 
Church. A Christian young lady was on her way to 
the assembly of the faithful, when one of the Emperor 
Dioclesian's guards perceiving her, was struck with her 
modesty. He went rudely up to her, and said, ^^Stop ! 
— whither are you going ? " Fearing, from the tone of 
his voice, that he intended to insult her, she made on 
her forehead the sign of the Cross, in order to obtain 
the aid of divine grac^e. The soldier, deeming himself 
affronted by her silence, seized her violently, and said, 
^^ Speak: who are you I whither are you going ^'^ She 
courageously replied, ^^ I am a servant of Jesus Christ, 
and am going to the assembly of the Lord." " You 
shall not go," said he ; " you must sacrifice to the gods : 
to-day we worship the sun ; you must worship him 
with us.'' He then attempted to pull off the veil which 
covered her face. This she endeavored to prevent, 
and said, ^^ Wretch, Jesus Christ will punish you!" 
At these words, the soldier became furious, and, draw- 
ing his sabre, plunged it into the heart of the Christian 
virgin. She fell, bathed in her blood, but her holy 
soul flew to heaven, there to receive an unfading crown 
of glory. — Fleury. 



Exercises. — 1. What works of piety should especially claim 
our attention on Sundays and holydaysf — 2. Show that the 
obhgation of assisting at Mass on those days is coeval with 
Christianity'^ — 3. Is it enouo-h to be present at Mass in body t — 
4. How should we be occupied wliile assisting at Mass? — 5. Is 



1 



198 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

the hearing of Mass alone sufficient to sanctify Sundays and 
holjdays ? 



SEOTIOiSJ^ III. 

SECOND PEECEPT. ^^ TO FAST A^TD ABSTAIN" ON THE 

DATS COMMANDED." 

0/ Fasting and Abstinence, 

The Church commands us to fast dming the entire 
Lent^ on three days of each season of the year, called 
quarter tense, and on the vigils or eves of certain 
solemn feasts. Fastings consists in taking* but one meal 
in the day, and abstaining from flesh meat. 

The fast of Le7it is of the highest antiquity, and its 
institution dates even fi'om the time of. the apostles. It 
was established to imitate the forty days^ fast of om' Lord 
in the desert, and to prepare us for worthily celebrating 
the feast of Easter. It has been obser\'ed in every age 
since the establishment of the Christian religion, and 
has been kept with greater rigor than the other fasts. 
The early Christians added to their fast longer prayers 
than ordinary, more abundant alms, watchings, and 
great recollection. 

The fast of quarter tense, or emher days, was established, 
to consecrate to penance the four seasons of the year, 
to draw down the divine blessings on the fi'uits of the 
earth, and to beg of God to give good priests to his 
Chm'ch ', for it is at these seasons, that persons destined 
to exercise the august functions of the sacred ministry, 
receive Holy Orders. 

Vigils are the days which precede the principal feasts. 
They are called by this name, because, on the eve of 
great feasts, the faithful formerly assembled in the 
churches, and spent a pari: of the night in watching, in 
singing the praises of God, and in reading pious books, 
as is still observed in some places on the eve of Christmas. 
The faithful fast on these days, to dispose themselves 
to celebrate well the coming festival, and thus re- 
ceive a laiger share of the graces which God bestows 
on his Church in these holv times. 



FASTIJ^G AND ABSTi:tTEKCE. 199 

The law of fasting is imposed only on sucli of the 
faithful as have completed the twenty-first year of their 
age; and many, even of those, are dispensed with; 
some on account of infirmity or sickness ; others on 
account of their laborious employments ; others, again, 
on account of their old age, &c. Any necessary dis- 
pensation of this kind can be had by application to 
the Bishop, or to those whom he may have empowered 
to grant it. To violate, without necessity, the command 
of the Church, would be to disobey God himself, in 
whose name the Church commands us ; for although 
there are many Christians who, without any legitimate 
cause, transgress the precept of fasting, yet the law 
still subsists in all its vigor; nor do the multitude of 
transgressors either nullify or weaken the obligation. 
The law of fasting, it is true, does not oblige those who 
have not arrived at the age of twenty-one, yet such 
persons are strongly recommended to exercise themselves 
in this mortification, by retrenching some little of their 
ordinary meals, or, at least, by depriving themselves of 
some gratification, the privation of which would not be 
prejudicial to health. The same may be said of persons 
beyond that age, whose infirmities or avocations exempt 
them from the obligation of fasting ; and they ought, 
by other good works, and by union of heart and mind 
with the faithful in their penitential exercises, to 
endeavor to supply for their non-observance of the fast. 

The Church forbids the use of flesh meat on Friday, 
in each week, in order to enfeeble the passions by 
mortifying the body, as well as to expiate our sins, and 
preserve within us the spirit of penance, which Jesus 
Christ so strongly recommends, and which is, as it were, 
the abridgment of the divine morality. We are sinners, 
and are, therefore, obliged to do penance ; we are sick, 
and we ought to labor for our cure ; we have sins to 
expiate, and it is by works of mortification that they 
can be expiated, and the divine justice satisfied; we 
have passions to subdue, and it is by retrenching Avhat 
servers only to gratify them, that we can ov(^r(X)me them. 
T\w Church, knowing our want of this remedy, and that 



200 DUTIES OP A CHRISTIAIS^. 

we have a repugnance to use it, comes to tlie help of 
our weakness, and gives an express command, in order 
to determine our will more efficaciously to submit to it. 
But, besides this general view, the Church, in imposing 
upon us the law of abstinence, has particular reasons 
also, of which we should not be ignorant. Friday has 
always been, with her, a day of penance and mortifica- 
tion, because it was on that day Jesus Christ died to 
redeem us, and it is just that we should participate in 
his sufferings, if we aspire to share in the grace of his 
redemption. 

For this reason, in the primitive Church, every Friday 
was a fast day : but this fast was afterwards reduced to 
a simple abstinence, and the Church made it a law to 
which every Christian is bound to submit. Children, 
even, are not exempt from this law, when they can 
observe it ; and nothing less than real necessity can 
dispense with it before God. When this necessity ex- 
ists, it must be made known to the person^s own pastor, 
whom the Church has invested with power to release 
from that obligation. Let no one, therefore, suffer 
himself to be imposed upon by the sophistries of the 
impious, who, making an erroneous application of the 
words of Scripture, say, that it is not meat which defileth 
a man. * The distinction of meats does not, indeed, of 
itself, honor God : but it does not thence follow that it 
is a matter of indifference whether we obey or disobey 
the authority which He himseK has established; or 
whether we keep alive or extinguish the spirit of pen- 
ance which He has so strongly recommended. Let us 
not imitate those who, for no reason, or under the slight- 
est pretext, allow themselves the use of meat on days 
of abstinence. The more common this disorder is, the 
more should we deplore it, that we may not be drawn 
into the torrent by the bad example, which we daily 
witness. So criminal a violation of an important pre- 
cept betrays great weakness of faith, and indifference 
to salvation on the part of those who are guilty of it. 

* Matth., XV, 11. 



TASTIKG AND ABSTH^ENCE. 201 

A Catholic who had led a very criminal life^ happened 
to read a book entitled, The History of Fasting. He 
was particularly struck at learning how rigorously this 
duty was observed in the primitive ages of the Church, 
and thus reproached himself : ^^ I call myself a Chris- 
tian, and I have never fasted : had I lived when the 
penitential canons were enforced to the letter, to how 
many years of fasting should I not have been con- 
demned, for the numberless sins which I have com- 
mitted ! The first Christians had no collation on their 
fasting days ; all abstained from wine , and a great 
number contented themselves with bread and water; 
nor did they, before it was evening, take their only 
meal.'' 

What he had read made so deep an impression upon 
him, that it never escaped his memory, and constantly 
gave birth to new reflections. God, in the end, touched 
his heart. Penetrated with a lively sorrow for his sins, 
he determined to submit to the most rigorous penance. 
With this design, he entered an austere monastery 
where he observed the strictest silence, fasted continually 
with the utmost rigor, lay on a hard bed, and interrupted 
his sleep, during a great portion of the night, to sing the 
praises of God. — Lasausse. 

In a city of France, a child, whose parents were 
strangers to the practice of religion, was preparing him- 
self to receive, for the first time, the holy sacrament of 
the altar ; and as it was usual in his parents' house to 
eat meat every day, without distinction, he accused 
himself of this with his other sins. His confessor 
gave him suitable directions for his future conduct, and 
these the child promised to faithfully obey. 

His fidelity was soon tested : the Friday following, 
meat was observed up, which, on being presented to 
him, he modestly refused, alleging the prohibiti(m of the 
Church, and expressing, at the same time, his desire of 
a piece of bread instead. His father, enraged at his 
refusal, inhumanly ordered him to be shut up without 
a morsel of food till the following day. The poor 
child submitted without complaint, and without betray- 



202 DUTIES OF A christia:n^. 

ing the least ill-liumor. His mother, although as 
irreligious as her husband, felt compassion for him, 
and towards evening, carried to him privately some food, 
reprehending him, at the same time, for his opposition 
to his fathei-'s wishes and her own. "Dear mother," 
replied the excellent boy, "had my father commanded 
me an^Hhing, the performance of which is not unlawful, 
I would have cheerfully obeyed ; and although I refused 
to comply with his wishes, it certainly was not through 
obstinacy. He ordered me to remain here till to-morrow 
without food ; this I can do without sin. Then you 
will not be displeased, I hope, at my not accepting what 
you have been so good as to bring me." 

His mother, astonished at hearing him give expres- 
sion to sentiments so religious and respectful, could not 
restrain her tears, and going instantly to her husband, 
related what she had just heard. Struck with admira- 
tion, he mingled his tears with hers ; and both acknow- 
ledged that their son was more rational and virtuous 
than themselves. Then entering the room in which he 
was confined, the father tenderly embraced him, ex- 
pressed his regret at having treated him with such 
severity, and inquired who had instructed and so 
prudently advised him. Being informed, he shortly 
after waited on the confessor to testify to him his 
gratitude for the care he had taken of his son-, and 
begged him to hear his own confession. Thencefor- 
ward, he was as remarkable for his strict observance of 
the laws of the Church, as he had before been for his 
neglect of them 5 and his wife became equally devout 
and observant. Happy child, that thus opened his 
parents^ eyes to the dangers of the course they were 
pursuing, and led them into the secure way of obedience 
and mortification ! — Maeguet. 



Exercises. — 1. What does the Church command hy the 
Second Precept? — 2. In what does fasting consist? — 3. When 
and why was fasting established ? — 4. Why the fast of quarter 
tense ? — 5. What are vigils, and why are they so called ? — 6. 
Why do the faithful fast on these days ? — 7.. On whom is the law 
of fasting imposed? — 8. Why does the Church forbid the use of 



n^J. 



ANNUAL CONFESSION. 203 

flesh meat on Friday? — 9. Has she any particular reasons for 
imposing this law of abstinence ? — 10. What does the violation 
of this precept betray ? 



SECTION IV. 

THIRD PRECEPT. — " TO CONFESS OUR SINS AT LEAST 
ONCE A YEAR.'' 

Of Annual Confession, 

By tMs precept^ tlie Church commands^ that from the 
time at which we come to the use of reason, that is, 
when we become capable of distinguishing good from 
evil, we confess our sins at least once a year. The 
Church intends, by this wise regulation, to place bounds 
to the negligence of those bad Catholics who would, 
persevere in their criminal habits, and pass several 
years without approaching the tribunal of penance. 
To fulfil this precept, we must present ourselves at 
least once a year at the tribunal of penance, and make 
an humble confession of our sins to an approved 
priest. 

Although the Church, through condescension, does 
not command confession oftener than once in the year, 
lest she should dishearten those to whom this duty might 
appear painful and difficult, yet she ardently desires 
that we have recourse to it much more frequently, and 
she testifies this desire by the words, at leasts which 
she has added to the precept. To receive the sacra- 
ment of penance once within the year, does indeed, 
where there is no special law or custom requiring more 
frequent confession, satisfy the obligation which the 
Church imposes, but it does not correspond with her 
intention or satisf}^ her desire, particularly when a 
person has had the misfortune to commit mortal sin. 
God obliges all who are conscious of being in this 
ujihappy state, not to defer their conversion. ^^ Delay 
not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not from 
day to day j for his wrath shall come on a sudden, and 



204 DUTIES OF A christi^:n'. 

m the time of vengeance He will destroy thee.'^* 
They must, therefore, return immediately to God by 
repentance, and wash away the defilement of sin in the 
sacrament of penance. The precept of the Church, 
far from dispensing with this obligation, has for its 
special object to prevent us from remaining in sin, 
which is a wound inflicted on the soul. But when a 
person has received a wound, does he neglect for any 
long time to apply a remedy ? Sin is a malady, more 
dangerous than any that can affect the body. When 
the body is attacked by sickness, do we delay an 
entire year to call in the physician ? And is it not 
exposing one^s self to die in mortal sin, to pass almost 
one^s whole life in that alarming state ? Experience 
shows that confession made but once a year, is not 
sufficient for us, if we would lead a Christian life. 
Those w^ho confine themselves to one confession in the 
year, are almost always engaged in criminal habits, 
which they are not sincerely desirous of overcoming. 
Many, it is to be feared, make even this confession badly, 
and such persons do not comply with the command of 
the Church ; for, at the same time that she makes 
annual confession imperative on her children, she obliges 
them to bring thereto the dispositions necessary for 
deriving fruit from it. To approach the sacrament of 
penance without having made a due examination of 
conscience, and without true sorrow, is so far from 
fulfilling the precept of the Chm^ch, that it adds a new 
sin, a sacrilege, to our former load of guilt. The 
Church has not fixed the precise time of the year at 
which this confession should, be made ; but, as it is 
commanded in the same canon with the Paschal Com- 
munion, we may infer that she desires it should be 
made about the time of Lent, and thus serve as a 
preparation for Easter Communion. It is advisable 
that a person present himself at the holy tribunal of 
penance, in the early part of Lent, in order that his 
confessor may advise him as to how he should prepare 
for that important action. 

* Eccles., V, 8, 9. 



ANKUAL CONFESSION. 205 

Venerable Bede, in his History of England, relates 
that Conrad, a pious prince, had among his courtiers a 
nobleman, to whom, on account of his great services, he 
was much attached, but who, notwithstanding the 
earnest entreaties of the prince, remained several years 
without approaching the sacred tribunal of penance. 
Being attacked with a very dangerous illness, the king 
visited him, and implored him to send for a confessor, 
but could not prevail on him to do so. Visiting him a 
second time, he found him at the last extremity, and 
conjured him not to die without seeking reconciliation 
with God. The unfortunate man, having remained 
some time without replying, at length looked at the king 
in the most frightful manner, and said, ^^ It is no 
longer time ; I am lost ; hell is my portion for eternity ! '^ 
Pronouncing these awful words, he expired in impeni- 
tence and despair. 

A clergyman, speaking to his flock on the folly of 
delaying their conversion, related to them the following 
parable : — '' On my way hither to exercise the duties of 
my ministry, I beheld a most afflicting spectacle, — a 
young man thrown precipitately on the highway, his 
carriage broken, and he himself, though not dead, yet 
sufiering, in every member of his body, intense torture. 
The people approached him, sympathized with him, 
and besought him to accept the aid of a physician. 
' A physician ! ' said he ; ^ yes ; at Easter I shall 
have a physician ! ' Judge of the astonishment of the 
S]Dectators : they imagined he had lost his senses. Be 
not surprised, my brethren, when I ask you, are not 
you like this unfortunate foolish man ? Have you not 
been running precipitately in the way of vice ? have 
you not even suffered a di-eadful fall ? your more noble 
part — your soul — is it not more than wounded? is it 
not dead ? We speak to you of a ph3^sician who is all- 
powerful, not of himself, but through the mission he has 
received from God, and who can bring that soul again 
to life ; and you say, ' At Easter — at Easter, I will 
have recourse to the physician.' And liow many are 
there among yon, dearest brethren, wlio do not put even 



206 DUTIES OF A CHPvISTIA:Nr. 

tills limit to tlieir delay ? '^ This comparison made a 
lively impression on the minds of the auditors, many of 
whom approached, soon after, the tribunal of penance. 
■ — ^Meeault. 



Exercises. — 1. What obligations are imposed on us by the 
Third Precept of the Church 1 — 2. Why does the Church com- 
mand us to confess at least once a year? — 3. Will one confes- 
sion in the year suflSce for persons who would lead a Christian 
life? — 4. Will confession without the necessary dispositions, 
fulfil the precept of Annual Confession^ — 5. At what time is 
this confession to be made ? 



SECTION V. 



BLESSED EUCHARIST AT EASTER, OR WITHEif 
THE TIME APPOIi^^TED.'^ 

Of the Paschal Communion, 

The Church, by this precept, ordains, that each one 
of the faithful should receive, at Easter, or within a 
certain specified time, the holy sacrament of the 
Eucharist, and that in his own parish chm^ch, or in one 
approved by his lawful superior for that purpose ; and 
she threatens with excommunication all who neglect to 
comply with this important obligation. 

Children who have made their first communion are 
obliged to observe this precept. What occasioned the 
Church to make this law, was the indifference shown by 
many Christians for this august sacrament, notwithstand- 
ing the declaration of our Lord : ^^ Except you eat the 
flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall 
not have life in you/^ * The primitive Christians com- 
municated frequently j they considered the Holy 
Eucharist as the daily bread of the children of God j 
they felt no sorrow more sensibly than that caused by 
their being deprived of this di\dne food. Soon, how- 
ever, charity began to grow cold ; the holy table to be 
less frequented ; and many, for several years, neglected 

* John, vi, 54. 



THE PASCHAL commuis^io:n". 207 

to receive it. To prevent so great a disorder, the 
Church requires all her children, under severe penalties, 
to receive the holy communion, at least, at Easter or 
thereabout. And although she obliges us to one 
communion only in the year, yet she desires that we 
approach oftener j for example, oh the solemn festivals. 

The Church, in the Council of Trent, declares that 
it would be desirable that all the faithful should, in 
order to partake more abundantly of the fruits of the 
adorable sacrifice of the Mass, couimunicate when 
they assist at it. By communicating at Easter only, 
we indeed comply with the precept of the Church, but 
not with her wishes. In effect, it is difficult that one 
communion in the year, should preserve and strengthen 
the spiritual life of the soul ] it is even to be feared 
that a person, by making only one, does not satisfy the 
precept, since he exposes himself to communicate un- 
worthily ; and a bad communion, so far from satisfying 
the obligation of the precept, is a horrible sacrilege, 
and an outrage on the Cliurch. 

The Church commands us to communicate with re- 
spect ] and this respect consists, principally, in bring- 
ing to the holy table a conscience free from mortal sin. 
For this reason, she permits the Paschal communion to 
be delayed for some time, when there appears a just 
and reasonable cause ; and, certainly, no cause can be 
more just and reasonable than when time is needed for 
being prepared to approach with purity of conscience. 
The time granted for this purpose should, however, be 
employed in making due preparation, and every effort 
made even to abridge it 5 for, although the specified 
time for compliance for all the faithful may have 
passed, the obligation of communicating subsists so long 
as the precept is not complied with. 

A man who had been leading a very irregular life, 
waited on his parish-priest, and told him he was desir- 
ous of complying with his Easter duty. The pastor 
applauded his good intention, but desired him to 
remember, that the precept required that he should 



208 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

receive worthily, and^ therefore, that that part of it 
should be strictly attended to. " I wish/' said the man, 
^^ to communicate to-morrow.'^ ^^ I have reason to 
believe/' said the priest, ^^ you are not sufficiently dis- 
posed to do so. I never see you at mass either on 
Sundays or holydays ; I have been told you frequently 
work on those days, and that you are altogether regard- 
less of the fasts of the Church." ^^ I fast always on 
Good-Friday, sir,'' said the man. " Yes," replied the 
pastor, " and you drink to intoxication on other days, 
and you have instructed your children so well, that 
they curse and swear like yourself." ^^ Sir," said the 
parishioner, '^ I acknowledge that I have been very 
wicked, but I wish to confess, and to receive commun- 
ion at the time prescribed." ^^Your confession," re- 
plied the pastor, ^^ may commence forthwith, but as to 
the Paschal communion, you cannot be permitted to 
receive it until you shall have amended your life." — 
Lasausse. 



Exercises. — 1. What does the Church ordain by this pre- 
cept ? — 2. What occasioned the Church to make this law ? — 

3. How did the primitive Christians approach the holy table ? — 

4. Do we comply with the wishes of the Church in communicat- 
ing at Easter only?— 5. Why not?— 6. To fulfil the Fourth 
Precept of the Church, in what disposition are we to communi- 
cate? 



SECTION VI. 

-FIFTK PEECEPT — " TO COl^ TRIBUTE TO THE SUPPORT 
OF OUR PASTORS." 

Of Supporting our Pastors. 

The Fifth Precept of the Church ordains, that we 
contribute to the support of our pastors, since they 
dedicate their whole time and labor to the spiritual 
welfare of our soul. That the pastors of the Church, 
who are rendering spiritual assistance to the faithful, 
should receive from them what is requisite for a decent 
supply of their corporal wants, is no more than common 



STJPPOHTIKG OUK PASTORS. 209 

justice. Having renounced every means of procuring 
their livelihood, in order to consecrate themselves to 
their sacred functions, they have a just and natural 
right to be maintained by those to whose service they 
dedicate their time and labor. 

No sooner had God instituted a religion among the 
Israelites, than He made choice of the tribe of Levi for 
his own immediate service, and to be the priests and 
pastors of his people. Having made this selection. He 
ordained that the tenth part of whatever belonged to 
the people should be consecrated to Him. " And the 
Lord said to Aaron : Behold I have given thee the 
charge of my first fruits. All things that are sanc- 
tified by the children of Israel, I have delivered to thee 
and to thy sons for the priestly office, by everlasting 
ordinances. And I have given to the sons of Levi all 
the tithes of Israel for a possession, for the ministry 
wherewith they serve me.'' * 

When our Lord sent the apostles to preach, he 
expressly ordained this duty : " Go,'' said he, ^^ behold, 

I send you as lambs among wolves Into whatsoever 

house you enter — .in the same house remain, eating 
and drinking such things as they have ] for the laborer 
is worthy of his hire." t ^^ Know you not," says St. 
Paul, inculcating the same obligation, ^Hhat they who 
work in the holy place, eat the things that are of the 
holy place ; and they that serve the altar, partake with 
the altar ? So also the Lord ordained, that they who 
preach the Gospel, should live by the Gospel." J 



So well was this injunction of the apostle — ^^ Let him 
who is instructed in the word, communicate to him that 
instructeth him in all good things," § — obeyed in the 
primitive ages of Christianity, that, as Ecclesiastical 
History informs us, the voluntary offerings of the people 
were amply sufficient to supply their pastors with a 
decent support. But in process of time, the love of the 
world and its vanities becoming predominant among 

* Numbers, xviii, 8^ 21. t Luke, x, 3, 5, 7. 

X 1 Cor., ix, 13, 14. § Gal., vi, 6. 



210 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

many of tlie faithful^ they grew remiss in the perform- 
ance of this duty. And as our divine Lord had 
ordained, in general terms, that " they who preach the 
Gospel, should live by the Gospel/' without specifying 
what proportion of their worldly substance the people 
were to contribute, the Church interposed her authority, 
and framed laws on this subject. These laws have 
been confirmed by the civil powers of all Christian 
states, but have been modified to suit the different 
dispositions and circumstances of the people. 



Exercises — I. What does the Fifth Precept of the Church 
ordain ? — 2. Why is it just to support our pastors ? — 3. Show 
that God made a law for the support of those whom He had 
chosen for his immediate service. — 4. By what words does our 
Lord expressly ordain this duty ? — 5. What does St. Paul say on 
this subject ? 



SECTION VII. 

SIXTH PRECEPT. — ^^ NOT TO S0LEMOT:ZE MAERIAGE 
AT THE P0IIBIDDE:N' TIMES, l^OR TO MARRY PERSON'S 



WITHHsr THE FORBIDDEIS" DEGREES OF KINDRED, 



Laws JRelating to Marriage, 

The Sixth Precept of the Church prohibits marriage 
to be solemnized in certain penitential seasons ; namely, 
from the first Sunday of Advent to the expiration of 
Twelfth-day ; and from Ash- Wednesday to Low Sun- 
day, both included. 

All mankind have an aversion to marriages between 
persons who are nearly related. The Church determines 
to what degree of kindred the prohibition of such 
marriages is to be extended ; and it is fixed to the fourth 
degree. Brothers and sisters are in the first degi^ee of 
kindred ; the children of brothers and sisters are in the 
second degree, and are called cousin s-german j the 
children of cousins-german are in the third degree ; and 
the children of these last are in the fourth degree of 



OP SIN. 211 

kindred, — being four steps from tlie common stock, in 
which the parties are united in the same father and 
mother. The Church also prohibits marriage to be 
contracted between those who are connected by affinity 
from lawful marriages within the same degrees. There 
are circumstances in which it may not be improper to 
dispense with the rigor of this law; for, where there 
exists a power of making laws, there exists a power of 
dispensing with them. But a dispensation should not 
be sought without good cause. 

Clandestine marriages are neither valid nor binding 
before Grod or the Church, wherever the decree of the 
Council of Trent relating to such marriages has been 
published and received. The Church declares every 
marriage clandestine, unless the man or woman's parish 
priest, or a priest with his or the bishop's leave, is 
present thereat, together with two or three w*itnesses. 
Every clandestine marriage is grievously sinful, and 
those who contract, solemnize, or witness, such marriages, 
are sharers in the guilt. 



Exercises. — 1. What does the Sixth Precept of the Church pro- 
hibit? — 2. To what degree of kindred is the prohibition of 
marriage extended? — 3. Are clandestine marriages valid or 
binding before God or the Church ? 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Of Sin. 

Sin, which is a wilful transgression or violation of 
the law of God, is the greatest of all evils, since it is 
offensive to God, who is the Sovereign Good. It is, 
moreover, a monstrous ingratitude j for, by sin, we 
offend a God who created us, who preserves us, and 
who daily bestows upon us new blessings. What 
turpitude for the sinner, so cherished, to outrage the 
best and tenderest of fathers! To comprehend still 
better the enormity of sin, let us consider what its ex- 
piation cost our divine Redeemer; for this reflection 
alone is capable of exciting a lively horror of it. Reflect 



212 DUTIES OF A cheistia:n'. 

also on tlie terrible chastisements with which God 
punishes it. All the evils in the universe, the miseries 
of life, sickness, death, — all are the consequences of a 
single sin, the sin of our first father. 

Sin is di\dded into two kinds, original and actual. 
Original sin is that which we inherit from our first parents, 
and in which we were all conceived and bom. Actual 
sin is that which we ourselves commit by the act and 
consent of our own will, after having come to the use 
of reason. Actual sin may be committed in four ways ,• 
by thoughts, words, actions, and omissions. The law 
of God forbids not only the bad action, but even the 
desire of it. It not only arrests the hand and tongue, 
but it regulates, also, the mind and heart. It is in the 
heart that the disobedience commences j the heart is the 
source of sin, the words and actions are only the exterior 
execution of what the heart dictates. 

Of actual sin there are two kinds, mortal and venial. 
A sin is mortal, when it is committed with full and 
deliberate consent, in a matter of weight j it is venial, 
when the matter is light, or even when it is grave, if 
the consent is not full and deliberate. 

Mortal sin is the greatest of all evils. By it we lose 
sanctifying grace and our right to a heavenly inher- 
itance. It kills the soul by separating it from God, 
who is its life ; and it renders us deserving of eternal 
damnation. When a person has the misfortune of 
committing a mortal sin, he becomes the slave of the 
devil, an enemy of God, and an object of his hatred 
and eternal vengeance. Can any misfortunes exceed 
these "? What, then, should be our horror of mortal sin ! ' 
With w^hat care should we not avoid it ! Should we 
not be disposed to sufier every evil that the mind can 
conceive, or the body endure, rather than commit it ! 
" Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent — the 
teeth thereof are the teeth of a lion, killing the souls of 
men.'' * Were we to meet a serpent in our path, and 
had reason to fear that we should be bitten or devoured, 
with what haste would w^e not flee from it ! Let us do as 
* Eccles., xxi; 2, 3. 



OF SIN. 213 

much, at least, for tlie preservation of our soul, as we 
would for that of our body. If we ever be so unhappy 
as to fall mto mortal sin, let us repent without delay, 
make frequent acts of heart-felt sorrow and of the love 
of God, and go to confession as soon as possible. 

Venial sin, even, should be avoided with all possible 
care,- for, although it does not deprive the soul of 
sanctifying grace, nor deserve eternal damnation, it 
hurts the soul, diminishes its love for God, and renders 
it deserving of temporal chastisement. Venial sin, 
though small in comparison with mortal sin, is a great 
and pernicious evil, since it is an ofience voluntarily 
committed against a God of infinite goodness and 
majesty. Moreover, venial sin leads the soul insen- 
sibly to the gulf of mortal sin, according to the express 
declaration of the Holy Ghost : " He that contemneth 
small things, shall fall little by little."* We should, 
then, be careful not to commit the smallest sin deliber- 
ately, but should rather avoid, according to the precept 
of the apostle, even the very '' appearance of evil." 



Wise and holy replies to sinful proposals. — "By 
sinning I would disobey God, in order to obey the 
devil : — what injustice, ingratitude, and folly ! '' — " How, 
then, can I," said the patriarch Joseph, " do this 
wicked thing, and sin against my God?"t — "It is 
better for me to fall into your hands, and be put to 
death, than to sin in the sight of the Lord,'^J said 
the chaste Susanna. — "What wouldst thou ask, or 
learn of us?" said the eldest of the seven Machabees — 
" We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws 
of God." § — " You propose that I revolt against God 
by committing this sin ; but how will you indemnify 
me, if I thereby lose my immortal soul?" — "I have in 
God a Master infinitely great, good, and liberal, who 
has ever loved me, and has promised me eternal life, 
.glory, and felicity; — and you would wish me to dis- 
obey, offend, abandon, and outrage Him; to declare 

* Eccles.; xix, 1. t Gen.^ xxxix. 9. \ Dan., xiii, 23. 
§ 2 Mach., vii, 2. 



214 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

myself his enemy, and consent to incur his anger, 
indignation, and vengeance ! " 

" Speak not to me of sinning, till you can show me a 
place where God cannot behold me, where He cannot 
deprive me of life in an instant, and precipitate my 
soul into hell.'^ 



Exercises.— 1. What is sin ? — 2. How may we comprehend 
the enormity of sin ? — 3. How many kinds of sins are there ? — 
4. In how many ways may actual sin he committed ? — 5. How 
many kinds of actual sin are there ? — 6. When is a sin mortal, 
and when venial? — 7. Why is mortal sin the greatest of all 
evils ? — 8. What are the sad consequences of mortal sin ? — 9. 
What should a person do who has had the misfortune to fall 
into mortal sin? — 10. Should we carefully avoid venial sin? — 11. 
Eepeat some of the replies made by persons who were solicited 
to commit sin. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

OF THE CAPITAL SZN^S. 

All the sins which men commit are ordinarily reduced 
to seven, which are called capital^ because they are, as 
it were, the source or principle of all other sins. The 
capital sins are, pride, covetoiisness, lust, anger, gluttony, 
envy, and sloth. 

Parable. — A young man crossing a certain forest, 
w^as attacked by a frightful monster, having a body like 
a lion, and seven heads like that of the serpent. The 
monster sprang towards him from its den, its seven 
heads erect, its eyes sparkling like fire, and made the 
air resound with its horrible hissings. The young man, 
not in the least disconcerted, stood firmly, and taking 
the axe which, according to the custom of the country, 
hung at its side, he, at one blow, struck off four of its 
heads. At a second blow, he cut off two of the remain- 
ing heads ; and then, seeing the monster apparently 
dead, he departed, thinking it needless to cut off* the 
seventh. But he had not gone forward many paces 
when the monster, already reanimated, darted furiously 
upon him, and dragging him to its den, devoured him. 



OF PRIDE. 215 

This monster represents the seven deadly sins, against 
which we must fight courageously with the arms of faith. 
It is not sufficient to deprive it of six of its heads ; 
if you leave it one, it will prove yom- ruin. What would 
it avail to have conquered many passions, if you per- 
mit one to conquer you ? Examine, then, if in fighting 
against this hydra, you have left one head upon it ] for 
one will be sufficient to destroy you. See if, in com- 
bating your passions, you have not spared some favorite ; 
for a single vice, if cherished, will be sufficient to cause 
your eternal destruction. The victory, to be secure, 
must be complete. We must persevere to the end in 
fighting, and must never grow weary of the combat, 
nor must we take repose until we have defeated every 
enemy. Should we act otherwise, we would expose 
om'selves to be seized on when we deem ourselves most 
secure, and dragged down into that abyss from which 
no one returns. — Giratjdeau. 



Exercises. — 1. Under what principal heads are all the sins 
that men commit classed ? — 2. Show us by the example which 
you have just read, the necessity of overcoming all our passions ? 



SECTION L 

Of Pride. 

Pride is an inordinate or disorderly esteem and love 
of ourselves, which leads us to prefer ourselves to others, 
and to refer everything to ourselves, and not to God. 
This vice is highly offensive to God, because by it we 
give glory to ourselves on account of his gifts, instead 
of referring all the glory to Him, from whom they have 
been received. ^^ What hast thou," says St. Paul, 
'' that thou hast not received ? And if thou hast received, 
why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it f " * 
Prom this vice spring vanity and an inordinate desire 
of esteem and praise. The proud man desires to be 
admired and applauded for whatever he does. When 
* 1 Cor., iv, 7. 



216 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAIs^. 

he has obtained the approbation of men, he is content ; 
he receives flattery with avidity and pursues it with 
eagerness. Pride endeavors carefully to hide our de- 
fects, and affects the possession of virtues, to which we 
are strangers ; it induces us to seek continually to draw 
upon us the public gaze, and to appear better than we 
really are. From it proceeds contempt of our neighbor. 
The elevated opinion which it causes us to entertain of 
ourselves and of our merits, leads us to despise others^ 
and, believing om-selves theu' superiors, to treat them 
and speak to them mth haughtiness and disdain. From 
pride also comes disobedience. The proud man will 
not submit to the orders of superiors; he disregards 
their advice ; the exercise of their authority over him 
pains and angers him ; nor does he even believe that 
he ought to obey. Pride makes us forgetful of our 
eternal interests ; it causes us to neglect totally the care 
of our souls. Its continual care is to deck out the 
body mth worldly adornments, and to exhibit this idol 
of flesh and blood in every chcle, in order to attract 
the admhation of beholders. Even decency and good 
manners are sometimes sacrificed to the pretended 
claims of fashion and custom. Oh, how detestable is 
the vice of pride ! How carefully we ought to avoid it ! 
"Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy 
words," says the venerable Tobias, "for from it all 
perdition took its beginning.'^ * " Pride is hateful 
before God and men : " t and St. James declares, that 
" God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the 
humble." | 

Christian humility is the virtue opposite to pride, 
and is the foundation of all virtues. The humble man 
is conscious of the fund of misery that is within him ; 
he despises himself, and is willing to be despised by 
others. If we reflect upon what we really are, how 
many subjects of humiliation do we not discover ! Not 
to speak of the infirmities of the body — that body 
which came forth from dust, and that into dust shall 
quickly return — let us direct our attention to the state 
* Tobias^ iv, 14. t Eccles., x, 7. t James^ iv, 6. 



COVETOUSNESS, OK AYARICE. 217 

of our soul. What do we behold ? Ignorance in the 
mind ; corruption in the heart ^ an inclination to evil j 
inconstancy in good ! Of ourselves we are nothingness 
and sin ; and whatever we have good and laudable, as 
the endowments of mind and body, the gifts of nature 
and grace, are all derived from God. A man deeply 
impressed with this truth, is far from being proud of 
himself, he is far from seeking vain applause or empty 
honors, if he perceives good qualities in himself, he 
refers the glory of them to God ; he reflects more upon 
his bad than upon his good qualities, and humbles him- 
self for them in the presence of God. Happy the 
humble of heart, because upon such shall be showered 
the blessings of the Lord ! But woe to the haughty and 
presumptuous, for they shall be covered with everlasting 
confusion ! 

Proud of a title which he dishonored by his vices, a 
nobleman, wishing to humble a man of low extraction, 
but of great merit, reproached him with the meanness 
of his bhth. Far from being irritated, the good and 
sensible man said, with a smile, " If my origin dishonors 
me, you certainly dishonor your origin.'' Learn hence, 
to respect virtue w^henever it is found, and never forget 
that true merit depends on our conduct, not on our 
possessions or our station. 



Exercises.— 1. What is pride ?— 2. Trace the portrait of the 
proud man. — 3. What are the principal effects of this vice ? — 4. 
To whom is pride odious ? — 5. What virtue is opposed to pride ? 
— 6. On what should we reflect to combat pride ? 



SECTION 11. 

Of CovetousnesSj or Avarice. 

Avarice is an inordinate or disorderly attachment to 
the goods of the earth. It is not a sin to possess riches ; 
but it is sinful to set our heart upon them, to seek them 
with eagerness, to> place our happiness in them, or to 
employ unlawful means to acquire them. 

10 



218 DUTIES OF A CHUISTIA^. 

Avarice produces forgetfulness of God and indiffer- 
ence to salvation. He wlio is solely intent on amassing 
temporal goods, has transferred his affection from God 
to them, and is little affected with the desire or hope of 
eternal treasures. The avaricious man is a stranger to 
compassion, and callous to the miseries of his distressed 
fellow-creatures. His avarice renders him insensible, 
even, to his own wants ; he prefers his money to his 
health, nay, even to life itself; he deprives himself of 
necessaries, lest he should diminish his adored treasure ; 
he accumulates riches, without making use of them ; he 
is indigent, in the midst of wealth ; he i%. in want of all 
things, in the midst of abundance. What folly ! What 
infatuation ! 

This vice, in fine, produces duplicity. The avaricious 
man, that he may possess what he covets, employs lying, 
fraud, and injustice. No one is more unjust than he 
who loves money : " Such a one,'^ says th^ Holy Ghost, 
^^setteth even his own soul to sale.^^* He who is 
enslaved to this passion, is no longer influenced by 
good faith, honor, or conscience; he becomes unjust, 
violent, — an impostor ; he uses all means, even the most 
criminal, to augment his hateful hoard, to which he has 
attached his heart ; and what is most deplorable is, that 
his attachment is strengthened with age. Time and 
reflection enfeeble other passions; but avarice seems 
to acquire new strength and vigor as old age advances. 
The nearer the avaricious man approaches that fatal 
moment when he must quit all, the more fondly does 
he cling to his riches, and the greater precaution does 
he take for a future that, to him, shall never come. 
^^Fool," says our Lord in his Gospel, "this night do 
they require thy soul of thee ; and whose shall those 
things be, which thou hast provided ? '^ t To others he 
shall leave his riches : — a winding sheet, a coffin, and a 
grave, are all that shall remain to him. 

Guard yourself vigilantly from a passion so dangerous. 
Instructed in the school of Jesus Christ, " lay not up to 

yourselves treasures on earth but lay up to your- 

* Eccles., X, 10. t Luke, xii, 20. 



COYETOUST^TESS, OR AVARICE. 219 

selves treasures in Heaven f * and endeavor to acquire 
the virtue opposed to avaiice. This virtue is a Christian 
detachment from earthly things, whether we live in 
poverty or in opulence. If we are poor, let us not envy 
the rich, nor desire their possessions. The goods of 
this world are frail and perishable, and can never fully 
satisfy the heart of man. The just, though poor, are 
happier with the little they possess, than the wicked, 
though in affluence. ^^Fear not, my son," said the 
venerable old man Tobias 5 ^^ we lead indeed a poor 
life, but we shall have many good things if we fear 
God." t ^^ Having food and wherewith to be covered," 
says St. Paul, " with these we are content." % If, on 
the contrary, w^e are ricb, let us remember that we shall 
carry nothing out of this world ; and let us give alms 
abundantly, that we may thus have imperishable riches 
laid up for us in Heaven. 

A man, who, in early life, had been liberal and 
generous, at a later period received a great increase of 
fortune, became passionately fond of money, and 
thought of nothing else than to increase his wealth. 
Tormented with the fear of being robbed of his treasure, 
he had a vault, with an invisible iron door, made in his 
cellar. There he secretly deposited his hoards of gold 
and silver, and thither he frequently retired, to view 
those riches on which his heart was fixed. On a certain 
day, when entering this gloomy retreat, he forgot to 
draw the key out of the lock and take it with him. 
When he had sufficiently indulged in the contemplation 
of his wealth, he prepared to return; but the door was 
locked, and he found himself imprisoned within the 
vault. Imagine his despair in this moment of horror. 
In vain did he. try to force the door; in vain did he 
endeavor to make his cries be heard. No one could 
hear his voice ; no one was acquainted with his secret. 
His family, not knowing what had become of him, were 
extremely uneasy. They sought him in every part of 
the town and neighborhood, but in vain ; and at length, 
* Matt., vi, 19, 20. t Tobias, iv, 23. % 1 Tim., vi, 8. 



220 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

concluded tliat he liad come to some untimely end. 
Several weeks after, a locksmith, who then resided in 
a distant town, hearing of the event, recollected that 
this person had formerly given him a secret order to 
make an iron door with a spring lock ; and it occurred 
to him, that the unhappy man might possibly have shut 
himself within, and so perished. He mentioned the 
circumstance to the family, and conducted them to the 
spot where the secret door was placed. They opened 
it and, to their utter astonishment, beheld the body of 
the wn:etched man half devoured by worms ! The w^hole 
mystery of his avarice was at once unfolded. They 
searched, and found immense riches within the vault ; 
'' treasures of wrath ^^ in the sight of the Almighty, 
which the unhappy miser had heaped together for his 
own condemnation. — Battdhaistd. 



Exercises. — 1. What is avarice? — 2. What are the effects 
of avarice f — 3. Explain how avarice destroys every noble senti- 
ment. — 4. Does this passion become weaker with age ? — 5. What 
words of our divine Lord show us the follj of attaching ourselves 
to riches ? — 6. Does wealth secure happiness ? 



SECTION III. 

Of Lust 

To conceive a horror of this shameful vice, consider 
its unhappy effects, as enumerated when treating of the 
Sixth Commandment. It is denned a criminal affection 
for those pleasures which are contrary to Christian 
chastity. 

Jesus Christ, whilst on earth, showed a particular love 
for chastity, and for those who practised it. '' Blessed," • 
said He, in his sermon on the mount, '' are the clean of 
heart, for they shall see God." ^ The virtue of chastity 
assimilates us to the angels ] nay, as St. Chrysostom 
says, it makes us even superior to the angels, by the 
victories gained over the temptations of impurity, of 
which they have no experience. '' Chastity," according 
* Matt., V, 8. 



OF LUST. 221 

to the holy fathers, " is the ornament of manners, the 
honor of the body, and the ground-work of sanctity." 
In fine, the Scripture says, that '^ no price is worthy 
of a continent soul." *' Everything that is good may be 
expected from a chaste youth ; because, as the spirit of 
God cannot dwell in impure hearts, so it takes delight 
to communicate itseK to chaste souls. 

Vigilance and prayer are the safeguards of chastity. 
"' Watch ye, and pray," says Jesus Christ, ^^that you 
enter not into temptation." t Guard your eyes, that 
they may not rest upon dangerous objects ; your ears, 
that they may not hearken to evil discom^se ; your mind, 
by banishing therefrom all ideas and thoughts contrary 
to purity ; your heart, by stifling bad desires in their 
veij' birth. " Banish," says St. Bernard, '' the wicked 
thought and whatever it presents, at the very beginning. 
If you banish it, it will leave you ; or, if it does not, it 
can do you no injury, so long as you have a horror of 
it. The thought which is not rejected, produces 
pleasure ; pleasure leads to consent ; consent, to action ; 
action, to habit; habit, to a kind of necessity; and 
necessity, to eternal death." 

In temptations against purity, have recourse to God, 
saying, Incline unto my aid, God; Lord, make 
haste to help me; or any of the forms previously recom- 
mended. Pray often and fervently to be preserved from 
these temptations, or for the grace to overcome them ; 
and for the same end, recommend yourself frequently to 
the Mother of God, the Queen of Virgins, and to your 
guardian angel and holy patrons. 



In a city of France there dwelt a young man, whose 
piety and good conduct excited general admiration, and 
served as an example to persons of the same age. Go- 
ing one Sunday to the church to perform his accustomed 
devotions, he was met by two of his fellow-students, 
who were far less virtuous than himself. They inviteii 
him to accompany them to a tavern not far distant, but 
he instantly rejected the invitation. At length, liow- 
*Eccles., xxvi, 19. tMark, xiv, 38. 



222 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAls^. 

ever, overcome by their solicitations, he went, or rather 
suiFered himself to be drawn thither by them. Being 
seated, he, in the beginning, drank with great reluctance, 
afterwards with pleasm'e, and then to excess. Finally, 
his passions being no longer under command, he fell 
into a sin against purity, and, awful to relate, he had no 
sooner committed it than he was struck dead ! — God ! 
how terrible are thy judgments ! how inscrutable are 
thy ways ! — Collet. 



Exercises. — 1. What is lust? — 2. What are the charms and 
recompense of chastity ? — 3. What are the best means to preserve 
this angelic virtue ?--4. What instruction does St. Bernard give 
for its preservation ? 



SECTION IV. 

Of Anger, 

That anger is called holy, which, excited by zeal, 
impels us to reprehend, in strong terms, those whom 
meekness could not correct. Such is the anger of a 
father or a master, at witnessing disorders which it is 
his duty to prevent. Our blessed Lord was moved by 
this kind of anger, when he drove from the temple 
those who violated its sanctity : but the anger classed 
among the capital sins is not of this character • it is an 
impetuous motion of the soul, exciting us to repress 
with violence what is displeasing to us. It proceeds 
from a bad principle, from some violent passion exist- 
ing in the heart, and which encounters some obstacle to 
its gratification. The proud man, for example, is 
incensed against whatever wounds his vanity or thwarts 
his amV)ition j the avaricious is irritated when anything 
occurs to disarrange his projects of increasing his gain j 
the voluptuary is indignant at whatever opposes his 
pleasures. This anger is neither according to God, 
nor conformable to the dictates of reason. Anger 
agitates the soul, and blinds the understanding. The 
tumult w^hich it excites interiorly, manifests itself on the 
countenance and the whole exterior : the eves redden j 



OF ANGER. 223 

the voice falters ; the body trembles ; the soul vents 
its rage against the objects of its anger, in words the 
most abusive, in slanders the most envenomed, in 
calumny the most atrocious, in imprecations against it- 
self, in blasphemies against God ! In fine, no violence 
however unwarrantable, no cruelties however revolting, 
are sufficient to satisfy the resentment of the angry man, 
or to assuage his fury. Oh ! how dreadful are the 
effects of this blind passion ! We ought to accustom 
ourselves, from time to time, to subdue the first motions 
of anger j never to speak a word in a moment of irrita- 
tion ; and, continually, to exercise ourselves in the 
practice of Christian meekness. 

Meekness is a virtue which enables us to support, in a 
spirit of submission and conformity to the will of God, 
whatever contradictions or calamities befall us. It re- 
presses sudden revolts and sallies of passion 5 prevents 
us from exhibiting any sign of impatience ; from 
suffering disrespectful or complaining words to escape 
us, when thwarted or provoked ; and, finally, it enables 
US to behave politely and modestly, not only towards 
the good and gentle, but also towards the ill-tempered 
and obstinate, whom it teaches us to endeavor to gain 
by complaisance and acts of kindness. 



Rufinus relates that a certain solitary, being frequently 
moved to anger in his monastery, said within himself, " I 
will retire into the desert, where I shall have no 
intercourse with men, and no longer be tempted to 
anger." He accordingly withdrew into the desert, and 
took up his residence in a cave. Congratulating him- 
self one day on his happy escape from all occasions of 
anger, it happened that his pitcher, which he had just 
filled with water, was, by accident, overturned. This, 
[lappening a second, and even a third time, so excited 
his predominant failing, that he took the pitcher, and 
dashing it against the ground, broke it into pieces, 
lleflecting afterwards on what he had done, he said : 
'' The demon of anger has again triumphed over me ; 
although I am alone in this desert, he has found means 



224 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

of tempting me. Since, then, tMs passion accompanies 
me everywhere, and that it must everywhere be com- 
bated, I will this moment return to my monastery. — 
Vie des Peres du Desert. 



Exercises. — 1. What is meant by a holy anger? — 2. What is 
the character of the anger classed among the capital sins ? — 3. 
What does this violent passion produce? — 4. What are the 
fruits of meekness and patience winch are opposed to anger ? 



SECTION V. 

Of Gluttony, 

Gluttony is an inordinate love of eating and drinking. 
To feel pleasure in the use of food is not forbidden ; 
and, since meat and drink are necessary for the pre- 
servation of health and life, it is a wise dispensation of 
the Almighty to season these aliments with an agreeable 
relish. We abuse this benefit when, in eating and 
drinking, we seek sensual indulgence only, whereas 
our intention should be to satisfy the necessity we are 
under of using food, in order to be able to fulfil our 
duties, and to serve God. ^^ Whether you eat or 
drink,'' says the Apostle, "or whatsoever else you do, 
do all to the glory of God."* To observe this lesson 
of St. Paul, we must not, at our meals, think only of 
gratifying the body, but of following the order of 
God's providence ; for God wills that we thus preserve 
our life. To seek, in the use of food, merely to please 
the senses, would be gluttony, — a vice unworthy of a 
rational being, and one that debases the soul, clouds 
the intellect, ruins the health, and shortens life. 

-'- Gluttony," as one of the ancients has well remarked, 
"has killed more than the sword." It produces 
drunkenness and excess in eating — vices which degrade 
a man below the very beasts of the field, — but which, 
the man who is truly polite, well educated, 'dz^^'L 
prudent, is ever careful to avoid. Gluttony, moreover, 
produces sensuality, and begets a contempt for the laws 
* 1 Cor., X, 31. 



OF GLUTTONY. 225 

of the Cliurcli. A man enslaved to this vice is but 
little disposed to observe the fasts and abstinences of 
obligation ; he is a stranger to mortification 5 those laws 
which prescribe certain privations, he considers as an 
insupportable burden j upon the slightest pretext, he 
seeks dispensations from them 5 and, at length, he not 
only violates the precept of fasting, but even uses, 
without remorse, forbidden meats. In fine, gluttony 
produces dissension. From intemperance spring quarrels, 
rage, violence, and numberless misfortunes. ^^ Who," 
saj^s the Scripture, ^^ hath woe ? whose father hath 
woe ? who hath contentions 1 who falleth into pits ? 
who hath wounds without cause ? who hath redness of 
eyes ? Surely they that pass their time in wine, and 
study to drink off their cups." * 

We ought to entertain the greatest horror of a vice 
so degrading and so unworthy of a man, and much more 
of a Christian ,• and practise a truly Christian sobriety. 
This virtue confines eating and drinking within the 
bounds of necessity,- it promotes health, and, as Holy 
Writ assures us, it " shall prolong life," while the same 
authority declares, that ^^by surfeiting many have 
perished; for, in many meats there will be sickness, 
and greediness will turn to choler."t A Christian 
should avoid delicacies, and what serves but to gratify 
sensuality ; in a word, he should think only of imitating 
our Lord Jesus Christ, who, in subjecting himself to the 
humiliating necessity of using food, wished to become 
our model in this, as in every other action. Bear con- 
tinually in mind the salutary advice which he has given 
us, in these words : ^^ Take heed to yourselves, lest, per- 
haps, your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting aud 
drunkenness and the cares of this life : and that day (the 
day of death or of judgment) come upon you suddenly. 
1^'or as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the 
face of the whole earth." J The most proper means of 
n^calling to memory the rules of temperance, and of 
obtaining strength to observe them, is to recite, devoutly, 
the. grace before and after meals. By faithfully observ- 
* Rrov.. xxiii^ 29, 30. tEccles., xxxvii, 33, 34. tLuke, xxi, 34. 



226 DUTIES OF A CHKISTIAIf. 

ing this christian practice, we shall draw down upon 
ourselves the blessing of God, and obtain grace not to 
oiiend Him. 



There is nothing, perhaps, in the annals of human 
depravity, more appalling than what occurred in Africa, 
in the time of St. Augustine. A young man, named 
Cyril, was exceedingly addicted to drunkenness, and 
passed the greater part of his time in taverns, with com- 
panions as profligate as himself. One day having in- 
dulged in his usual excesses, he retm-ned home, and, in 
his drunken fit, plunged a dagger into the breast of one 
of his sisters who happened to come in his way. Her 
father, alarmed by her cries, flew* to her assistance 5 but 
the unnatural wretch, grown more fmious at the sight 
of blood, killed his father also. He next stabbed an- 
other sister, who had endeavored to snatch from his 
hand, the dagger uplifted against his father. What 
crimes perpetrated by a single individual! What a 
series of horrors enacted in a single day ! St. Au- 
gustine was informed of the particulars of this shock- 
ing tragedy, and, although he had already preached 
twice that day, he reassembled his flock, and, with tear- 
ful eyes, acquainted them of the shocking occurrence. 
The whole congregation expressed their grief and 
horror in sighs and lamentations ; and greatly did they 
wonder how any man could commit crimes so monstrous 
and revolting. St. Augustine profited of this circum- 
■^tance, to show to what horrible excesses the indul- 
gence of a single unmortified passion may lea.d ; and 
the tears which accompanied his observations, spoke 
more feelingly to the hearts of his auditory, than even 
the eloquent words he uttered. 



Exercises. — 1. What is gluttony, and what must be done to 
avoid it ? — 2. AVhat are the fatal consequences of this vice ? — 
3. Explain how gluttony degrades man. — 4 What rules should 
be follow'ed in. eating and drinking ? 



OF ENYT. 227 

SECTION VL 

Of Envy, 

Envy is a criminal repining or sadness at our neigh- 
bor's good. The man addicted to this vice, feels him- 
self wounded by the merits of others ; he cannot suffer 
himself to be surpassed, or even equalled, by them; he 
is chagrined at seeing them possessed of talents or 
virtues which he does not possess, or which he desires 
to possess exclusively. If the advantages which he 
observes in others, inspired him with a desire of acquiring 
the like, or of imitating them, it would not be envy, 
but a noble emulation. This, however, is not the 
feeling by which the envious are actuated. They 
desire less the possession of those estimable qualities, 
than to see others deprived of them ,• they regard the 
prosperity of their neighbor as an injury to themselves ; 
their success, as a personal misfortune ; their good 
reputation, as a stain which tarnishes their own. This 
unhappy disposition of heart is a gnawing worm ; it is 
a passion which consumes in secret, and which makes 
the envious man his own executioner. How mean and 
hateful is this vice! How deplorable its effects ! 

The envious man rejoices at the misfortune of his 
neighbor. Should his neighbor incur disgrace, he is 
glad, he triumphs in his fall, and experiences a fiendish 
pleasure at witnessing his humiliation, although he may 
never have been injured by him. 

The vindictive man attacks only his enemies — those 
from whom he has received, or from whom he believes 
he has received, some injmy ; but the envious man 
hates those whom he has nothing with which to reproacli, 
but the virtues by which they are distinguished. 

The second effect of envy is defamation and calumny. 
The envious man endeavors to blacken the reputation 
of those by whose merits he is wounded ; he weakens, 
as much as in his power, the good that is said of them ; 
he gives malicious interpretations to some of their best 
actions ; he converts into vices the purest virtues. 
Their piety is, in his eyes, but dissimulation and 



rp 



L 



228 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAIir. 

hypocrisy ; and their success in their undertakings, the 
efi'ect of chance, not the fruit of superior ability. 

The third effect of this vice is, that it leads to the 
iujmy of our neighbor. From words, the envious man 
proceeds to acts , he frustrates the designs of the objects 
of his malignant passion 5 he employs all the means in 
his power to defeat their projects, to prevent them from 
obtaining what they deshe, or to deprive them of what 
they have already obtained. 

In fine, envy leads to the greatest excesses and most 
criminal violence. It was envy that caused Cain to 
kill his brother; it was envy that prompted the 
brothers of Joseph with the design of putting him to 
death, and that made them sell him as a slave; it 
was envy that impelled the Pharisees and Doctors of 
the Law to calumniate, persecute, and crucify the Son of 
God himself. We should, then, never give this detest- 
able vice an entrance into our heart, and should 
endeavor to acquire the opposite virtue ; namely, — a 
truly Christian love, which will render us sensible to 
the happiness and misery of our fellow-creatures, for the 
love of God, and with a view to their salvation. 

This love is the virtue of charity. He who is 
animated with it, participates in the good or evil which 
falls to the lot of his neighbor, and feels the one or the 
other as sensibly as if he himself experienced it. Fol- 
low the counsel of the apostle, who says : " Rejoice 
with those w^ho rejoice, w^eep with those who weep.^^ * 



Two neighboring shopkeepers had, through envy or 
jealousy, for a long time entertained the most violent 
enmity towards each other. One of them, however, 
listening to the dictates of religion, became sensible of 
his criminality, and determined on seeking a reconcilia- 
tion. He consulted a pious and enlightened friend, as 
to the course he should pursue. ^^My advice to you,'' 
replied the friend, ^^ is, that, as your hatred arose from 
envy, when any one comes to you to purchase goods, 
and that you cannot please him or deal with him, advise 
* Eomans, xii, 15. 



OE SLOTH. 229 

liim to go to the house of your neighbor, and that he 
will, most likely, be accommodated/^ He followed the 
advice, and his neighbor, seeing such a number of 
persons come directly, from the house of one whom 
he had considered his enemy, mquired the cause. On 
discovering it, he began to entertain quite different 
sentiments towards him, and, in a short time, they had 
the happiness of being perfectly reconciled. 



Exercises. — 1. What is envy ?— 2. What is the first effect of 
envy ? — 3. What is the second ? — 4. What is the third ? — 
5. What must be done to uproot this detestable vice? 



SECTION VII. 

Of Sloth. 

Sloth is a voluntary disgust for labor, which causes 
us to neglect our duties, rather than do violence to 
nature. There are no disorders whatever to which sloth 
is not calculated to lead. It begets a kind of weak- 
ness and sluggishness of soul, which prevents us from 
resisting our evil inclinations, and, therefore, it is truly 
called the parent of every vice. Those evils which 
come directly from it are : first, idleness and loss of time. 
The slothful man passes his days, months, and years, 
either in doing nothing, or in frivolous amusements ,* he 
fulfils not his religious obligations j prayer is either 
entirely omitted, or said with distraction ; the sacra- 
irients are not approached, or are received with undue 
dispositions. He also neglects the duties of his station 
in life. A young man, for example, does not i3rofit of 
the education which is afforded him, he performs 
nothing of what is prescribed him, or performs it badly 
and without the least attention or application ; his 
understanding remains uncultivated ; his memory, un- 
exercised ; he leaves school almost as ignorant as when 
he first entered it. What follows? If he obtains an 
important employment, which requires a clear under- 
standing and extensive knowledge, he is incapable of 
discharging its duties ; his ignorance is perceived j his 



230 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

incapacity is spoken of ; lie becomes the object of con- 
tempt and ridicule. What regrets must he not then 
feel, at having squandered the precious time of youth ! 
Useless regrets, which come too late , the loss is 
irreparable. 

The second vice, which springs from sloth, is pusill- 
animity. The slothful man has neither strength nor 
energy to undertake the most trifling business ; he is 
arrested by the least obstacle ; everything appears 
impossible, because he does not wish to exert himself. 
Inconstancy is another efiect of sloth. If the slothful 
has any desire of correcting himself, it is weak and of 
short duration ; he soon grows weary of doing well, and 
relapses into his habitual indolence. '^ Desires kill tho 
slothful,'^* says the Scripture. '^ The sluggard,^' it adds, 
'^ willeth and willeth not.'^t He WT:shes one thing to-da}^ 
and another to-morrow ] to-day he deshes to do well, 
to-morrow his disposition is altered. Thence proceeds a 
lukewarmness visible in his whole conduct, a languor 
of heart which leaves no relish for the discharge of duty, 
and an insensibility which renders him deaf to remon- 
strance : nothing moves, nothing affects him. Neither 
the reproaches which he receives, nor the good examples 
w^hich he witnesses, are capable of arousing him from his 
slumber. The holy Scripture compares the soul of the 
sluggard to an uncultiva-ted w^aste : — ^' I passed by the 

field of the slothful man and behold, it was all filled 

with nettles, and thorns had covered the face thereof, 
and the stone wall was broken down.'^ \ Hear also the 
words of God, addressed to the slothful man, in the 
book of Proverbs : — ^^ Go to the ant, sluggard, and 
consider her ways, and learn wisdom ; which, although 
she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain, provideth 
her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her 
food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O 
sluggard ? When wilt thou rise out of thy sleep ? Thou 
w^ilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt 
fold thy hands a little to sleep ,• and want shall come 

* Prov.; xxi, 25. t Ibid.^ xiii. 4. 

I Ibid., xxiv, 30, 31. 



OE SLOTH. 231 

upon thee as a traveller^ and poverty as a man 
armed.'^* 

Laziness resembles stagnant water : this produces 
mud and unclean reptiles j that engenders indigence 
and the most detestable vices. He that is laborious 
resembles the beej this little insect never becomes 
fatigued J and extracts honey from all kinds of flowers. 

Beg of God the virtue contrary to sloth ; that is, a 
holy activity J or fervor, which will make you love your 
duties, and fulfil them properly, through a desire of 
pleasing God, and of securing your salvation. Let not 
the difficulties of labor cast you down 5 be of good 
courage, and God will render easy, and even delightful, 
what, at first, appears painful and repulsive. Our 
Creator, who imposes upon all the obligation of labor- 
ing, will enable us, by his holy grace, to practise what 
He commands. Be assured that the lassitude and 
weariness, which the vice of idleness produces, are a 
thousand times more insupportable than the most 
fatiguing labors. 



While dangerously ill, the young duke of Burgundy 
sighed after the happy moment in which he would be 
permitted to renew his studies. One day, feeling some- 
what recovered, he earnestly besought his tutor to 
restore him his books; and when the latter asked the 
reason of this eagerness, he replied : ^' Ah ! my kind 
preceptor, I am afraid of losing what you have taught 
me, and because I have a thousand things yet to learn.^^ 
This answer shows us that the studious pupil of Fene- 
lon, though scarcely nine years old, had his youthful 
mind already adorned with pleasing and useful know- 
ledge. — Mentor des Enfants. 

A good pastor frequently called the attention of his 
flock to the example of the ant, whose industry has 
become a proverb. '' Learn to be wise,^^ he would say ; 
''' this life is the time of harvest : make provision of 
good works, that you may have wherewith to purchase 
heaven." How long wilt thou sleep, slucigdrd f 
* Pro v., vi, 6-11. 



232 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

A servant of God was accustomed, every time he 
heard the clock strike, to say : " my God ! another 
horn' is passed of those which are destined to make up 
the number of my days. Soon shall I have to render 
Thee an account of each one of them — yea, of every 
moment of my whole life ! '' 

^^ In my youth," says Buffon, " I was extremely fond 
of sleep, which robbed me of the best part of the morn- 
ing. Desirous to overcome this habit, I promised my 
servant half a dollar each time he would cause me to 
rise before six o'clock. Next morning, at the appointed 
hour, Joseph (this was the servant's name) entered my 
bedroom and awoke me ; but instead of rising, I 
upbraided the boy contumeliously. The following 
day he retm'ned and had recourse to compulsory means 
to make me rise. This he continued for several weeks, 
as the half-dollar that he daily received seemed to be 
an ample recompense for my frequents burst of indigna- 
tion. One morning, however, I peremptorily refused to 
rise. At his wit's end to devise means to dissuade me 
from my determination, the courageous fellow, with 
the quickness of thought, seized a pitcher of cold water 
that stood hard by, and, turning down the bedclothes, 
emptied it on m.y bosom and then took to flight. You 
may easily imagine that I did not hesitate long in 
changing my detemiination. At a stroke of my bell, 
the poor youngster returned, trembling with fear. 
^ Here, my boy, here are your fifty cents,' said I, with 
the greatest calmness. Thus do I owe to poor Joseph 
three or four volumes of my Natural Histoy^yJ^ 



Exercises. — 1. What is sloth, and of what evils is it the 
source ? — 2. What are the effects of this vice in a young man who 
has become its slave ? — 3. What sad results follow this negli- 
gence ? — 4. Cite some passages from Scripture which show the 
danger of sloth ? — 5. What must be done to overcome this vice ? 



BOOK SECOND. 

OF THE SACRAMENTS AND OF PRAYER. 



PART FIRST. 

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 



PRELIMINAEY INSTRUCTION. 

Of the Necessity of GracCj and the Means of 
ohtaining it. 

In order to observe the Commandments of God and 
to save om- soul, we stand in need of the assistance of 
grace, without which we can do nothing in the order 
of salvation. ^^ Without me/^ says Christ, ^^you can 
do nothing; '^* and St. Paul assures us that we are not 
" sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of our- 
selves ; but our sufficiency is from God.'^t 

Grace is a supernatural gift, which God, in his 
boundless mercy, has given us through the merits of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. It is principally divided into two 
kinds,- namely, sanctifying grace, and actual grace. 
Sanctifying grace is that grace which justifies us ; that 
is, makes us pass from the state of mortal sin to that of 
sanctity, or justice. This grace makes us children of 
God, renders us agreeable in his sight, and gives us a 
right to the inheritance of Heaven. It is also called 
habitual grace, because it remains with us so long as wo 
keep from consenting to mortal sin. Actual grace con- 
sists in a holy thought that enlightens the mind, and 
in a pious motion which goes before, excites, and helps 
our will to avoid evil and do good. 

* John; XV; 5. t 2 Cor.; iii; 5. 



234 DUTIES OF A CHPvISTIAJtf. 

Original sin having darkened our understanding and 
depraved our heart, we are born in ignorance, and with * 
a strong propensity to evil. These are the two general 
sources of all our sins. We sin because we are ignor- 
ant of our duties, or because, though we know them, 
we prefer to follow our inclinations rather than discharge 
those duties. 

AYe could never recover from the state of sin, nor do 
the least good whatever, if God did not enlighten our 
mind, and give to om' heart an inclination to virtue. 
Grace makes us know what is good, and inspires us 
"with the desu'e, as well as gives the strength, to prac- 
tise it. What would become of a man attacked on all 
sides, within and without, if God did not assist his 
weakness ; for, combined with his own strong inclina- 
tion to evil, he is subject to the temptations with 
which the devil and the world continually assail him. 
On every side, the world lays snares for our destniction. 
It exhibits before our eyes its pomps and deceitful 
pleasures, in order to attach om' heart to them, and turn 
it away from God* The devil, too, continually attacks 
us, presenting to our senses flattering and seducing 
objects, amusing our imagination, with a thousand illu- 
sions, and exciting us to continual revolts of the flesh 
against the spirit. Man could not resist so many assaults, 
if God ceased for an instant to support him. This is 
the reason why, in our daily recital of the Lord's prayer, 
we beg of God that his name may be glorified ; that 
his wiU may be done on earth as it is in heaven ; that 
He abandon us not in our temptations ; and that He 
deliver us from evil. 

It is, then, true, according to the doctrine of Jesus 
Christ, that we can neither give glory to God, do his 
will, resist temptation, nor be delivered from the snares 
of the de\il, but by the assistance of grace. With Lis 
grace, however, we can do everything : '' I can do all 
things," says the Apostle, ^' in Him who strengtheneth 
me."* This help is not due to us, we have no right 
whatever to it ^ if we had, it would be no longer a 
* Philipp.; iv, 13. 



OF GRACE. 235 

grace. We receive it from the unspeakable goodness 
of God, and through the infinite merits of the passion 
and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. This grace is 
never refused to any one, and it is our own fault, if we 
do not avail ourselves of it, and save our soul. It is 
not grace which is wanting to us ; it is we that are want- 
ing to grace. God has attached grace to the sacraments, 
when they are received with proper dispositions ; and 
He has promised it to prayer, when it is well made. 
We have, then, two infallible means of obtaining the 
grace of God, — prayer and the sacrament 

We receive sanctifying grace by means of the 
sacraments of Baptism and Penance, which Jesus Christ 
has instituted for this end, and which, by this institu- 
tion, have become necessary means of sanctification. 
In the second place, God has promised to hear us when 
we pray to Him, implore the assistance of his grace, 
or solicit his mercy, in the name of his only Son, w^ho 
has loved us, and delivered himself to death for us. By 
prayer we can obtain the grace of God, and with this 
joowerful help we can keep his commandments ; ^^ for 
God does not command impossibilities, but by com- 
manding us (to do anything), He admonishes us to do 
what we can, to pray for the help we need, and then 
He gives the assistance necessary to make us able. 
God never forsakes those that are justified by his grace, 
unless He be first forsaken by them.'^ He never 
ceases to protect us so long as we continue faithful to 
Him. 

St. Augustine had long resisted the grace of God 
which urged him to repentance. But, at length, hear- 
ing of the wonderful conversion of two officers of the 
evuperor's court, which had been effected by readiwg the 
lilo of St. Anthony, he began to be grieved and ashamed 
to find his will had been so weak and divided. With- 
diawing into his garden, and throwing himself down 
under a fig-tree, he gave free vent to a torrent of tears, 
and addressing himself to God, said, ''• Plow long, O 
Lord! — Wilt Thou be angry for everT' Weeping 



236 DUTIES OF A CHPvISTIAX. 

w'hh. tlie most bitter contrition of hearty he^ on a sudden, 
heard, as it were, the voice of a child, which frequently 
repeated these words : " Take up, and read ; take up, and 
read.'^ Then taking up a copy of St. Paul's Epistles, 
he read a passage strongly exhorting to repentance, and 
to the practice of a vhtuous life. He hesitated no 
longer, but instantly resolved to co-operate with grace ; 
and he soon happily experienced the truth of what one 
of the officers had said, that ^^ it costs much less to 
become the fiiend of God, than to arrive at a brilliant 
fortune, and to win the emperor's friendship and favor.'' 
It is necessary only to will it sincerely, when behold, I 
become, in a moment, the fiiend and favorite of God. 
— Lasatjsse. 



ExzECLSES. — 1. Of what do we stand in need to keep the 
commandments and to save our soul ? — 2. VThal is grace, and 
how is it divided? — 3. VThatis sanctifi/ijig grace f — 4. WTiat is 
actual grace ? — 5. Show that grace is necessary to enable us to 
recover from the state of sin ?— 6. From whom do we receive this 
grace? — 7. In what sacraments do we receive sanctifying 



CHAPTER I. 

OE THE SACEAMEXTS i:S' GEXEEAE. 

The sacraments are sensible signs, instituted by Jesus 
Christ to confer grace. Hence, they are so many 
sacred channels, through which he communicates to us 
the graces which lead to salvation. They are called 
signs, because they indicate to us the graces which we 
receive in them j and they are sensible, because they 
fall under the cognizance of the senses. There are 
seven sacraments ] Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, 
Penance. Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matri- 
mony. In these sacraments there are two things to be 
considered, one of which we see j the other, we do not 
see, but believe. That which we see, is the exterior 
action of the minister of the sacrament ; that which we 
do not see, is the invisible operation of grace. 



THE SACKAMENTS IX GEISTERAL. 237 

Three things are necessary to make a true sacra- 
ment : first, that there be some outward sensible ac- 
tion performed ; second, that this be a certain means 
to bring grace to the soul ; and, third, that Jesus 
Christ be the author of it. The outward sign consists 
of matter and form. That which is used, or the thing 
done in the administration of the sacraments, is called 
the matter] the words spoken, the form; and these 
two exterior things, the matter and form, have a corre- 
spondence with each other, as well as with the graces 
they communicate. In baptism, for example, the 
matter is w^ater; the form consists of these words: ^^I 
baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost.'' ^The words, I baptise, sig- 
nify I wash; and the effect of baptism is to purify the 
soul by giving it a new life, the life of grace. The 
matter of Confirmation consists in the imposition of 
hands, when the bishop praj^s that the Holy Ghost 
may fill the soul with his strength and grace, and in 
the anointing with holy chrism ; and the form consists 
•in the words which accompany the latter action. The 
effect of Confirmation is to strengthen and cause the 
soul to increase in spiritual life. In the same manner, 
the Holy Eucharist, the matter of which is bread and 
wine, nourishes spiritually ; Penance heals the maladies 
of the soul ; Extreme Unction delivers us from the 
remains of the weakness caused by sin ; Holy Orders 
furnish the Church with ministers to govern it; and 
Matrimony gives it children to renew it, as it were, and 
to perpetuate its duration. 

All the sacraments have been instituted for our sancti- 
fication, and all produce this effect ; but there are differ- 
ences, between them, which it is necessary to remark. 
Baptism and penance have been established to confer 
the spiritual life of grace, and for this reason, they are 
called sacraments of the dead; the other sacraments 
have been instituted for the augmentation of sanctifying 
grace, and to preserve this spiritual life, when it has 
already been obtained, and for this reason, they ar(^ 
called sacraments of the living, because, to receive thcui 



238 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAK. 

worthily, we must be living the life of grace, that is to 
say, exempt from mortal sin. That particular actual 
grace, peculiar to each sacrament, which gives the soul a 
special aid to obtain the end for which each sacrament 
was instituted, is called sacramental grace. 

Three of the sacraments, Baptism, Confirmation, and 
Holy Orders, have a special efiect, which is, to impress 
on the soul a spiritual indelible character, which con- 
secrates to God, in a particular manner, the persons 
who receive them. A p^'son recei^dng any of these 
three sacraments with undue dispositions, would not 
receive sanctifying grace, though he would receive the 
character. Grace, after ha^^ng been received, may be 
lost by sin, but the divine seal which these sacraments 
have impressed, cannot be effaced^ and for this reason, 
they cannot be received more than once. 

Besides the outward action, and the words which are 
essential to each sacrament, the Church, always guided 
by the spirit of God, has added many ceremonies for 
the instruction and edification of the faithful. Although 
these ceremonies are not absolutely necessary for the 
effect of the sacraments, they are respectable for theh 
antiquity : the greater number of them appear to have 
been established by the apostles themselves ; they aU 
serve to make known to us the excellence and holiness' 
of the sacraments ; and they teach us, in a sensible^ 
manner, the dispositions with which they ought to be 
received, the effects they produce, and the obligations 
they impose. 



A certain zealous clergyman, addressing his con 
gregation, said : " How many sick persons repaii', ip 
the summer season, to famous watering-places, at great 
expense, in order to obtain the cure of some corporal 
infirmity ! and how many spiritually sick amongst us, 
who do not avail themselves of those admhable waters 
flowing through the sacraments out ^ of the Sa^aor's 
fountains/ * for the cure of all the maladies of the soul V^ 



* Isaias, xii; 3. 



THE NECESSITY OF BAPTISM. 239 

Exercises. — 1. What are sacraments ? — 2. How many sacra- 
ments are there ? — 3. How many things are requisite to make a 
sacrament ? — 4. Why have the sacraments been instituted ? — 
5. Which are the sacraments that can be received but once, and 
why so ? 



CHAPTER II. 

OF BAPTISM. 

SECTION I. 

Of the Necessity of Beceiving this Sacrament 

Baptism is a sacrament which cleanses us from 
original sin, and makes us children of God and of his 
Church. It is the first of the sacraments, and entitles 
us to receive the others. Our Lord instituted it when 
he said to His apostles : '^ Go ye, therefore, and teach all 
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. '^ * '' He that 
believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved." t 

It is, then, for the salvation of men, that Jesus 
Christ has instituted baptism ; it is to deliver them 
from sin, and to render them, by this new birth, chil- 
dren of God and of his Church. 

Baptism remits original sin in children not yet 
arrived at the use of reason ] and in adults, it not only 
remits original sin, but also all the actual sins com- 
mitted before it, provided the persons receiving it have 
the necessary dispositions. Baptism also remits the 
temporal punishment due to sin ; for which reason the 
Church never imposes penance on the newly -baptized ; 
but this sacrament does not take away the consequences 
of original sin, such as ignorance, inclination to evil, 
the miseries of this life, and the necessity of temporal 
death. The effects of original sin still remain, after 
the sin itself has been remitted, to serve as an exercise 
of our virtue, by the combat we have to sustain in 
resisting evil, and in doing good. If baptism delivered 
us from ignorance and inclination to evil, we would do 
* Matt., xxviii, 19. t Mark, xvi, 16. 



240 DUTIES OF A GHKISTIAK. 

good without effort, and, as it were, naturally ; and then 
we should have no other merit than that of correspond- 
ing with grace, since the practice of good would cost us 
nothing. This sacrament impresses upon the soul a 
spiritual mark, or character, which can never be effaced ; 
and which consecrates to God those who are baptized, 
and distinguishes them from those who are not. This 
character of consecration is such, that the sacrament 
cannot be reiterated ; for that which is once consecrated 
to God, belongs to Him by an inalienable right. 

Baptism is so necessary that we cannot be saved 
without it, conformably to the words of Jesus Christ : 
"• Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy 
Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God;"* 
but it may be supplied by martyrdom, or by desire. 
Hence, we distinguish three kinds of baptism ; the 
taptism ofivater, the 'baptism of desire^ and the baptism 
of blood, Baptism of ivater can alone be truly called 
the sacrament. If the two others receive the name of 
baptism, it is only because they supply the want of the 
sacrament when it cannot be received ; but they do not 
impress the character. Baptism of desire^ so called 
because produced by an impulse of the Holy Ghost, is 
a perfect conversion to God by contrition, or love of 
God above all things, with an explicit or implicit wish 
of true baptism of water, whose place it supplies accord- 
ing to the Council of Trent ; and om' holy faith teaches 
us that in receiving it by desire, men are saved. 
Baptism of blood consists in suffering martyrdom for the 
love of God, and for the faith of Jesus Christ, without 
having been baptized. It is thus named, because the 
person who dies in defence of the faith is considered 
as baptized in his own blood, and as obtaining the 
same grace as if he had received the baptism of water. 
It does not operate as a sacrament but from a certain 
privilege, on account of its resemblance to the passion 
of Christ. Thus martyrdom availed the holy innocents, 
v»^hom the Church honors as true martyrs. 

* John, iii, 5. 



THE ADMINISTRATION OF BAPTISM. 241 

" I have known a virtuous woman/' says the pious 
Boudon^ '^ poor indeed as to the goods of this world^ 
but very rich as to those of heaven ; full of the spirit 
of Jesus Christ, and affectionately devoted to the 
Blessed Virgin. In the town in which she lived, a 
magnificent church was being erected, and she felt 
strongly impelled to offer a crown which she had saved 
out of her hard earnings, that she might have the 
gratification of contributing to the construction of the 
sacred edifice. The priest to whom she presented her 
offering, refused to accept it, and told her that he would 
be better pleased to give her some assistance, than to 
take anything from her, judging, from her appearance, 
that she must be wretchedly poor. But she, with 
admirable faith, replied : '' Poor ! do you say, reverend 
Father f Ah ! am I not a Christian, the daughter of a 
great King, and heiress to an everlasting kingdom ? " 



Exercises. — 1. Which is the first and most necessary of 
the sacraments? — 2. What sins does baptism remit? — 3. What 
words of our divine Lord show the necessity of baptism ? — 4. 
How may it be sup})lied? — 5. What do you mean by baptism of 
desire f — 6. In what does baptism of blood consist ? 



SECTION II. 

Of the Administration of the Sacrament of Baptism. 

Since baptism is so necessary for salvation, Jesus 
Christ, in instituting it, has given to men all imaginable 
facilities for receiving it. Although the priests of the 
Church are the ordinary ministers of this sacrament, yet, 
in cases of necessity, any lay person can administer it ; 
and this baptism is valid, provided that the person has 
the intention of doing what the Church does, and 
pours natural water on the head of the person to be 
baptized, pronouncing at the same time, the following 
words : "' I baptize thee in the nane of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." When it is 
impossible to pour the water on the head, it should be 
poured on the breast or shoulders, or on any other part 
of the body. In case of reasonable doubt, whether 



242 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

baptism previously conferred has been validj or whether 
it has been, at all, conferred, conditional baptism 
should be given thus : '^ If thou art not baptized, I 
baptize thee, in the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost.^^ Again, when it is 
doubtful, whether the person to be baptized has life, 
conditional baptism should also be given, thus : ^^ If 
thou art capable of being baptized, I baptize thee, in 
the name of the Father,*^ &c., &c. 

Baptism being absolutely necessary for all men, it is 
of obligation on those who are converted to the faith, 
and who have come to the use of rea^son, to receive this 
sacrament ; but the practice of the Church in then- 
regard is very different from that which she obser^'es in 
regard to infants. As infants are incapable of instruc- 
tion, they are admitted to baptism without any disposi- 
tion, because they cannot have any ; but with regard 
to those who have come to the use of reason, the case 
is different. They are first taught the holy mysteries, 
and all that they are obliged to know of religion ; they 
are exhorted to present themselves with pure intentions, 
and with their heart disengaged from all affections to 
sin ; and they are excited to penance for those they 
have committed. The sacrament was formerly adminis- 
tered to this class of persons but twice in the year, on 
the eves of Easter and Pentecost, unless there was 
danger of death ; and it was always on these days that 
the water used in baptism was blessed. 

A Missionary who had penetrated into some of the 
most remote regions of America, to gain souls to Christ, 
was addressed by a poor Indian, whose dispositions 
appeared extraordinary. Having instructed him in 
the truths of religion, and on the dispositions necessary 
for receiving the sacraments, he administered to him 
the sacraments of baptism and Holy Eucharist, which 
he received with the most lively transports of love and 
gratitude. The Missionary departed to visit other parts 
of the country, and retm^ned in about a year to the 
place where this poor man resided. Immediately on 



• THE CEREMONIES OF BAPTISM. 243 

his arrivalj the poor savage, who regarded him as a 
father, came to visit him, and begged him to administer 
to him the Holy Communion. ^^ Yes, my child,'^ said 
the Missionary, '' but you must first confess any mortal 
sins of which you have been guilty since my departure. 
Fear not; I will assist you in your accusation.^' 
^^What! Father,'^ replied the Indian, "is it possible 
that any Christian, after being baptized, and receiving 
the Blessed Eucharist, could be guilty of ofiending God 
by mortal sin ? Thanks be to God, I believe I am not 
guilty of any such sins.'' He then, with tears and 
lively sentiments of sorrow, accused himself of some 
very trifling transgressions. The Missionary blessed 
God at seeing that He was served and glorified by 
faithful and fervent souls even among the most savage 
people. — Lettres Edieian^tes. 

Exercises. — 1. By whom may the sacrament of Baptism be 
administered? — 2. What is the form of this sacrament? — 3. 
What form is used when there is reason to doubt the validity of 
Baptism previously conferred? — 4. What practice does the 
Church observe respecting the Baptism of persons who embrace 
our holy faith ? 



SECTION III. 

Of the Ceremonies of Baptism, 
As baptism is the first and most necessary of all the 
sacraments, the Church desires that its adminstration be 
accompanied with appropriate ceremonies, expressive of 
the excellence of the sacrament itself, and of the obliga- 
tions contracted by those who receive it. 

The person to be baptized remains, at first, at the 
entrance of the Church, to intimate that, being the slave 
of the devil, he has no right to enter into the house of 
God, on account of original sin, with which he is sullied. 
The priest, after asking what he demands of the Church, 
proceeds to prepare him for baptism. He first breathes 
on him, and commands the unclean spirit to depart, and 
give place to the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. After 
this, he makes the sign of the cross on his forehead and 



244 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

breast, to signify, that a Christian must make open 
profession of the faith of a crucified God, and always 
bear Christ crucified in his heart. This sacred sign is 
frequently used in the administration of this sacrament, 
to show that it derives all its efiicacy from the cross of 
Jesus Christ, and that the life of a Christian is a life of 
suflerin^, after the example of that divine Master, in 
whose footsteps he is to follow. 

Having said some prayers for the person to be 
baptized, the priest puts a little blessed salt into his 
mouth, to signify, that by baptism, he receives grace to 
preserve his soul from the corruption of sin. By this 
ancient ceremony, we are admonished to procure and to 
maintain in our soul true wisdom and prudence, of which 
salt is an emblem. The priest next proceeds to the 
solemn prayers and exorcisms, and after the last 
exorcism, touches the ears and nostrils of the infant or 
catechumen, to show that by baptism, his ears are 
opened to the word of God, and to the inspiration of the 
Holy Spirit, and his nostrils to the good odor of all 
Christian virtues. Then follows the solemn renunciation 
of Satan, and of his works and pomps ; after which, the 
breast and shoulders are anointed with holy oil. The 
anointing of the breast. is to signify the necessity of 
fortifying the heart with heavenly courage ; and tlie 
anointing of the shoulders, the necessity of the like 
grace to bear the crosses and adversiries of this life. 
The holy oil is emblematic of the interior unction of 
grace, which the Holy Ghost imparts to the soul ; and 
as oil penetrates the body, strengthens it, and heals its 
wounds, so the graces received in baptism, penetrate 
the heart, and fortify it against the passions. 

The person to be baptized, is now interrogated by the 
priest concerning his faith in the mysteries of the Blessed 
Trinity, the Incarnation, and Redemption. He is then 
asked if he wishes to be baptized, and the godfather 
and godmother having answered that he does, the 
priest administers the sacrament. The child's name 
ought to be that of some saint, whom he may have for 
an intercessor in heaven, and for a model of the life 



THE CEEEMOKIES OF BAPTISM. 245 

which he should lead on earth. After baptism, the priest 
anoints the new Christian on the crown of the head, 
with holy chrism, to signify that he is made a partaker 
of the royal dignity of Christ , and he puts on his head 
a white linen cloth, and in his hand a lighted candle, 
to represent the purity which he has just received, and to 
teach him that he is always to walk in the light of faith, 
and to be animated with the fire of charity. He then 
enters his name on the registry of the church, to show 
that he has been admitted among the children of God. 
Those who answer for an infant at baptism, are 
named godfathers and godmothers ; they promise for 
him to God, that he will faithfully acquit himself of 
the obligations which he contracts at baptism j and 
they engage to see him instructed in his christian 
duties, and to use their efforts that he may faithfully 
practise them. Should the parents of the child, or 
those whose incumbent duty it is to instruct him in 
his religious obh'gations, neglect that duty, the god- 
father and godmother are strictly bound to supply their 
place. 

The Emperor Dioclesian, coming to Rome, was re- 
ceived with great rt^'oicings. Among other entertain- 
ments prepared for him, those of the stage were not 
neglected. In a comedy, which was acted in his 
presence, one of the players conceived the idea of 
representing, in a ludicrous manner, the ceremonies of 
the Christian Baptism, which could not fail to divert 
the assembly, who held the Catholic religion and its 
mysteries in contempt. A player, named Genesius, 
who had learned some things concerning the Christian 
rites, laid himself down on the stage, feigning himself 
sick, and said, ^^ Ah ! my friends, I find a great weight 
upon me, and would gladly have it removed. '' The 
other actors answered, ^^ What shall we do to give thee 
ease V^ "I am resolved," said Genesius, ^^ to die a 
Christian, that God may receive me on this day of my 
death, as one who seeks his salvation, by flying from 
idolatry and superstition." The two comedians, one 



246 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

in the dress of a priest, the other of an exorcist, ap- 
proached, and seating themselves at his bed-side, said, 
^^ My child, what do you demand ? '' At this interroga- 
tory, Genesius, by a divine inspiration, was suddenly 
converted; and, with great earnestness and unfeigned 
sincerity, replied, " The grace of J esus Christ, and 
to be bom again, that I may be delivered from all 
my sins." The ceremonies oi baptism were then, 
in mockery, proceeded with, and on being baptized, 
he was clothed with a white garment. To carry on 
the jest, other players, dressed like soldiers, seized 
Genesius, and presented him to the emperor, to be ex- 
amined like the mart}Ts. Then Genesius, standing 
upon the stage, said aloud, in a tone and manner that 
seemed to bespeak inspkation : — '' Hear, emperor, 
and you that are here present, officers, senators, philoso- 
phers, and people, what I am going to say. I never 
yet so much as heard the name of Christian j but I was 
struck with horror, and I abhorred my very relations, 
because they professed the Christian religion. I learned 
its rites and mysteries, that I might the more heartily 
despise it, and inspire you with the utmost contempt of 
it, by making them the subject of public derision. But 
whilst I was washed with the water, and interrogated, 
I had no sooner answered sincerely that I believed, than 
I saw a hand extended from heaven, and beheld an- 
gels of transcendent brightness hovering over me, who 
recited, out of a book, all the sins I had committed 
from my childhood. This book they plunged into the 
water, and w^hen they afterwards presented it to me, it 
was whiter than the falling snow. Wherefore, I 
counsel you, great and potent emperor, and all ye 
people, who here have ridiculed these mysteries, to be- 
lieve with me, that Jesus Christ is the true Lord ; that 
He is the light and the truth ; and that it is through 
him you may obtain the forgiveness of your sins." 

The emperor, equally astonished and enraged, ordered 
Genesius to be most cruelly beaten with clubs, and 
afterwards to be handed over to the prefect of the city, 
that he might compel him to offer sacrifice to the gods. 



THE PROMISES AT BAPTISM. 247 

The prefect commanded him to be put upon the rack, 
where he was torn with iron hooks for a considerable 
tirae^ and then burned with torches. The martyr en- 
dm^ed these torments with constancy, and, in reply to 
the inhuman judge, said : '' The God whom I adore 
and serve is the only Lord of the universe ; to Him I 
will adhere, though I should suffer death a thousand 
times for his sake. And no torments shall remove 
Jesus Christ from my heart or mouth. What grieves 
me is, that I have so lately come to his service, and 
have so greatly offended Him by my former errors and 
impieties." Perceiving that his eloquence made a 
deep impression on the multitude, the prefect, without 
further delay, ordered his head to be struck off. Thus, 
our Lord, who called a publican to the apostleship, 
honored with the glory of martyrdom this saint, drawn 
from the stage — the most infamous school of vice and 
the passions. The baptism which St. Genesius received 
on the stage, was no more than a representation of the 
sacrament, for want of a serious intention of performing 
the Christian rite ; but he was baptized in desire, with 
true contrition, and also in his own blood. 



Exercises. — 1. Recount, in a few words, the principal cere- 
monies of Baptism? — 2. What names are given to those who 
answer for a child at Baptism ? — 3. What obligations do god- 
fathers and godmothers contract ? 



SECTION IV. 

Of the Promises made at Baptism. 

When presented to the Church to receive Baptism, 
we are asked whether we will live according to the Gospel 
maxims, and renounce, in heart and affection, the devil 
and his pomps, the world and its maxims ; nor are we 
admitted among the number of God^s children, until we 
have made a formal promise in the affirmative. 

It is, then, in the face of heaven and earth, in 
presence of God and his angels, that we promise to 
submit to the law of Jesus Christ, and to observe it in 



248 DUTIES OF A CHKISTTAN. 

its fall extent. We had not, it is true, the use of 
reason, when we received the sacrament, but it was for 
us, and in our name, that these promises were made ; 
and we have ratified them since, every time that we 
have made public profession of Christianity. We ratify 
them still every day, by the sign of the cross ^ by the 
recital of the Lord^s Prayer j by assisting at the holy 
sacrifice of the Mass ; and by receiving the sacraments. 
We belong, then, no longer to ourselves j we belong, 
exclusively to God ; our souls, our bodies — all are his. 
To follow the maxims of the world, to seek after its 
vanities, to love the pomps of the devil, to blush at the 
Gospel, would be to renounce the character of a Chris 
tian, to violate one^s engagements, to become a prevari 
cator, to trample on the blood of Jesus Christ, to out- 
rage the Holy Spirit, and to banish Him shamefully from 
om' heart. We should never forget that these promises 
are written in the book of life ; that they are registered 
in heaven ; and that they will become the subject 
of that judgment which we must undergo after death. 
Om' salvation, our eternal destiny, depends on our 
fidelity to them. We should frequently renew them, 
and unceasingly thank God that we, who were slaves of 
Satan, have become his own adopted children, and 
heirs to his heavenly kingdom. 



It is related in Ecclesiastical History, that Maurita, 
a holy deacon of Carthage, having baptized a young 
man name Elpidophorus, had the affliction to see him 
afterwards become an apostate, and even a persecutor 
of the Christians. Whilst the impious man, who had 
been raised to the dignity of judge, sat one day in 
judgment upon them, Maurita made his appearance, 
carrying in his hand the white garment with which he had 
clothed Elpidophorus in baptism. Baising it up before 
him, he said, in the hearing of the whole assembly : 
^^ Behold, minister of error, this white garment, which 
I have carefully preserved j it will be thy accuser and 
the witness of thy apostacy on the last day, before the 
tribunal of the Sovereign Judge. When thou earnest 



THE EFFECTS OF CONFIKMATIOIS'. 249 

from baptism, washed and purified from thy sins, it 
served thee as an ornament ; but hereafter it shall be to 
thee a garment of fire and flame, to torment thee for all 
eternity ! " When Maurita had concluded, the most of 
the assembly were in tears, and Elpidophorus himself, 
leaving his tribunal, retired in confusion. 



EXEKCISES.— 1. What are the promises of baptism? — 2. Are 
we obliged to observe them^ although they were made in our 
name before we had the use of reason ? — 3. How and when do 
we ratify these promises ? — 4. Why should we frequently renew 
these promises ? 



CHAPTER III. 

OF CO:NrFIKMATIO:N". 

SECTION I. 

Of the 'Nature and 'Effects of Confirmation, 

Confirmation, which is the second of the sacraments, 
increases in us the grace of baptism, and renders us 
perfect Christians, by imparting to us the Holy Ghost, 
with the abundance of his graces. This sacrament 
completes what baptism began. The grace of baptism 
is a grace of regeneration, which makes us children of 
God ; that of confirmation is a grace of fortitude and 
courage, which elevates us to the condition of perfect 
men, and renders us capable of giving testimony to 
Jesus Christ, at the expense even of our very life. This 
is what was seen in the persons of the apostles. Before 
the descent of the Holy Ghost, they were weak and timid ; 
but, as soon as they were filled with his graces, they 
became new men, and announced Jesus Christ with forti- 
tude and zeal. The Holy Ghost descends on those also 
who are confirmed, and produces in them the same effects, 
but in an invisible manner ; because religion is now so 
established, that, to practise it, we need not the assistance 
of miracles. 

Although the Holy Ghost does not descend visibly 
on tliose who receive confirmation, as it frequently 
happened in the primitive Church, yet He always sheds 



250 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAN. 

upon those who are duly disposed, the abundance of 
his gifts and fruits. The seven gifts of the Holy Ghost 
are : ivisdom^ which detaches us from the things of this 
world, and gives us a relish for the things of God ; 
understanding J which makes us penetrate the truths of 
religion ] counsel, which makes known to us the way 
of salvation, and the enemies we have to contend with 
therein ; fortitude^ which enables us to surmount every 
obstacle that may oppose our spiritual progress 5 Jcnotv- 
ledge, by which we are made acquainted with our 
duties towards God; piety, which enables us to dis- 
charge those duties ; and the fear of the Lord, which 
impresses on our soul a great respect for the awful 
majesty of God, and a salutary dread of offending Him. 

The fruits of the Holy Ghost are : charity, which 
unites us to God by love -, jog, which fills the soul with 
a holy consolation ; peace, which produces tranquillity 
in the midst of contradictions -, patience, which enables 
us to support, for the love of God, all the afflictions 
that befall us; longanimity, which makes us expect, 
with confidence, the good things to come; goodness, 
which renders us beneficent to all; benignity, which 
begets sweetness and affabilit}^ of manners ; mildness, 
which allays in us every motion of passion or anger ; 
fidelity, which makes us punctual observers of our 
covenants and promises ; modesty, which regulates our 
whole exterior according to the maxims of the Gospel ; 
continence and chastity, which preserve our body pare 
and holy, so as to be a suitable temple of the Holy 
Ghost, who resides in it. 

The bishops, as successors of the apostles, are the 
ordinary ministers of confirmation. 

The ceremomes which accompany its administration, 
are signs of the admirable effects which the sacrament 
produces. The bishop, turning towards those who are 
to be confirmed, holds his hands extended over them, to 
show that the Holy Ghost takes them under his pro- 
tection, and is about to replenish them with his graces. 
He prays, at the same time, that the Holy Spirit may 
descend upon all present, who are to be confirmed ; and 



THE EFFECTS OF COIS'FIRMATION. 251 

then anoints each person's forehead with holy chrism, 
in the form of a cross, saying '^ I siGN^ thee with 
the sigk of the cross, i cokfirm thee with the 
chrism of salyatioit, t^ the name of the 
Father, aitd of the So]^, and of the Holy 
Ghost.'' — These words are the form of the sacrament. 

The holy chrism, which is composed of oil of olives 
and balm, expresses the abundance, sweetness, and 
power, of the grace which fills, penetrates, and 
strengthens the soul, as oil penetrates and strengthens 
the body. The balm is also a symbol of the good 
odor of Christ, which the confirmed Christian ought, by 
the practice of all virtues, to difiuse everywhere around 
him. Confirmation is one of the three sacraments 
which confer a spiritual character j it can, therefore, be 
received but once. 

Although this sacrament is not absolutely necessary 
for salvation, yet it would be a sin to neglect to receive 
it ; because such neglect would deprive us of the 
abundant graces which it communicates ; and would be 
a disobedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, who has 
instituted it for our advancement in the life of grace. 



Julian the Apostate, resolving to make solemn 
profession of his impiety, ordered preparations to be 
made for a sacrifice to the idols, in one of the pagan 
temples. On the day appointed, he repaired thither, 
accompanied by his court, in great pomp, that the 
sacrifice might be celebrated with all possible magni- 
ficence. All being ready, he made a sign to the priests 
to commence the impious rite; but, what was their 
astonishment, when they found themselves unable to 
proceed with it ! Their knives, which they had well 
prepared, could make no impression on the flesh of the 
victims, and the fire which they had lighted on the 
altar was suddenly extinguished. The sacrificing 
priest said^ '' There is some unknown power present 
that interrupts our ceremonies." Then addressing the 
emperor, — ^^ There must be," he observed, '' some one 
present who has been baptized or confirmed." Julian 



U52 DUTIES or A christia:n\ 

ordered that inquiry should be made^ when "behold ! a 
boy, one of his own pages, came forward and said : — 
Know, sire, that I am a Christian, and have been 
confirmed." A few days since I was anointed with holy 
oil, to strengthen me for the combat. I am a disciple 
of Jesus Christ, who, by his cross, has redeemed me. 
I acknowledge him alone for my God, and I glory in 
belonging to him. It was I, or rather it was the God 
whom I serve, who prevented the impiety you were 
going to commit. I invoked the sacred name of Jesus 
Christ, and the demons could not be acknowledged as 
gods. At that sacred name, the name of the true and 
only God, the devils have been put to flight ! " The 
emperor, who had formerly professed Christianity, aware 
of the powder of om' Lord Jesus Christ, was seized with 
teiTor- and, apprehending the efiects of the divine 
vengeance, left the temple, covered with confusion, 
without uttering a single word. The courageous young 
soldier of Christ immediately reported to the Christians 
all that had occmTcd. They rendered glory to God, 
and acknowledged how terrible to the devils are those 
in whom the virtue of Jesus Christ dwells by the 
sacrament of confirmation, when it is received with 
proper dispositions. — PpvUDExtitjs. 



Exercises. — 1. What are the effects of Confirmation f — 

2. \Yhat is the^fference between this sacrament and Baptism ? — 

3. Does the B^5 Ghost descend visibly on those who are being 
confirmed ? — 4. N"ame and define the seven gifts of the Holy 
Ghost. — 5. Xame the twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost, and tell us 
their effects. — 6. Who are the ministers of Confirmation? — 7. 
How is this sacrament given ? — 8. Is it sinful to neglect its 
reception? 



SECTION II. 

Of the Dispositions for Confirmation. 

As Confirmation can be received but once, it is of 
great importance to receive it with the necessary 
dispositions, that we may not be deprived of the graces 
peculiar to this sacrament. The first disposition 



THE DISPOSITIONS EOR C0KFIEMATI0:N". 25,S 

necessary for receiving it is, to be instructed in tlie prin- 
cipal mysteries of religion, and to renew onr profession 
of them. We should also know the Apostles' Creed, 
and understand its meaning, and be instructed in what 
regards the oommandments, the sacraments, grace, and 
prayer. If young children, incapable of such knowledge, 
are sometimes admitted to this sacrament, it is a pure 
indulgence in favor of their age and innocence. When 
a person receives a sacrament, he cannot be too ' well 
instructed ; and he exposes himself to great danger 
when, through his own fault, he has not sufficient 
knowledge. 

The second disposition is, to have a conscience free 
from mortal sin. This disposition is still more necessary 
than the former, and nothing can dispense with it. The 
Holy Ghost himself assures us, in the Holy Scripture, 
that " wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor 
dwell in a body subject to sin.''* The sacrament of 
confirmation is a sacrament of the living ; it requires, 
then, spiritual life in him who receives it. The effect 
of this sacrament is to increase and strengthen this spir- 
itual life in the soul ; but it is impossible to strengthen 
in the life of grace, the soul that does not possess it. 
To receive confirmation worthily, we must either have 
preserved the life of grace received in baptism 5 or 
we must have recovered it by true repentance. 

The third disposition is, an ardent desire to receive 
the Holy Ghost, with the abundance of his graces. It 
was by holy desires and fervent prayers, that the apostles 
prepared themselves for his coming • and it is by 
imitating their example that we shall attract Him to us. 
We should beg this favor with earnestness and per- 
severance ; and God, whose infinite goodness disposes 
Him to listen to our petitions, will not refuse to grant it. 



The persecution raised in Jerusalem, after the death 
of St. Stephen, having dispersed the disciples, St. riiilij), 
the Deacon, went to Samaria, and converted great num- 
bers, whom he baptized. He imparted the joyful news 
* Wisdom, i, 4. 



254: DUTIES OP A CHRISTIAJJT. 

to the apostles, wlio immediately sent St. Peter and 
St. John to impose hands upon them ; and no sooner 
had they done so, than the Holy Ghost ^dsibly de- 
scended on the new converts. ^' They laid their hands 
upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost." * 



Exercises. — 1. What is the first disposition necessary to 
receive worthily the sacrament of Confirmation ? — 2. What is 
the second ? — 3. What is the third ? 



SECTION III. 

Of the Obligations of Confirmation. 

Confirmation imposes on us two principal obligations : 
the first, to confess the faith of Jesus Christ at the peril 
of our life ] and the second, never to blush at the Gospel, 
nor yield to human respect. A confirmed Christian* is 
bound to defend the faith, when he hears infidels assail 
its dogmas, or libertines oppose its morality. He ought 
to give testimony of Jesus Christ, that is, defend 
com'ageously the faith which he has taught us j and he 
ought to oppose, wdth earnestness and vigor, those who 
attack it, fearing neither railleries nor threats — no, nor 
even death itself. The terrible chastisement vAih 
which om^ Lord, in the Gospel, menaces those who 
neglect this duty, should make us sensible of its im- 
portance. ^^ Every one, therefore, that shall confess 
me before men, I will also confess him before 
my Father who is in Heaven. But he that shall 
deny me before men, I will also deny him before my 
Father who is in Heaven." t It is, then, a crime not 
to confess Jesus Christ before men, or not to declare 
for him when he is insulted. We should oppose, 
with a com'age worthy a soldier of Jesus Christ, the 
dangerous discourses of corrupt men, who would 
weaken our faith. We should sustain the interest of 
our Master to the full extent of our ability. Would we 
suflfer any person to slander, in our hearing, a parent or 
a dear friend ? How then, can we endm'e any one to 
* Acts, viii, 17. t Matthew, x, 32, 33. 



THE OBLIGATION'S OF CONriEMATIOI?r. 255 

outrage, in our presence, that God to whom we owe our 
very existence, and who is to be our eternal recompense *? 
It is principally by the purity of our morals and the 
regularity of our conduct, that we must confess Jesus 
Christ, and gain to him the hearts of those who attack 
his doctrine. Example is more powerful and persuasive 
than words ; and nothing honors or confirms our holy 
religion more than the Christian and virtuous lives of 
those who profess it. 

The bishop, in administering confirmation, makes 
the sign of the cross upon the forehead of the person he 
confirms, and gives him a light stroke on the cheek, to 
teach him that he should never be ashamed to practise 
the law of Jesus Christ, and that he should elevate 
himself above human respect, and that weakness so 
unworthy a Christian, which would deter him from the 
practice of virtue, or cause him to commit evil, rather 
than give offence to the sinful and worldly-minded. A 
young man, for instance, will not frequent the sacraments, 
sanctify holydays, go to Mass, nor observe the 
abstinences of the Church, because he fears he may 
become the ridicule of companions who are neglectful 
of these duties. He sees that, in fulfilling them, he 
will become the object of their raillery ; and this is 
sufficient to determine him to act like them, and thus 
to adopt a line of conduct which must lead eventually 
to his everlasting destruction. 

How injurious to God is such deplorable conduct ! 
How lamentable in its consequences ! What an outrage 
is thus offered to God, when we willingly sacrifice his 
friendship rather than that of men ! Wicked men, who 
merit neither our esteem nor our confidence ; men whom, 
in our heart, we, perhaps, despise. What ! God com- 
mands us to preserve piety in our heart, by the frequent 
use of the means which He has appointed for our 
sanctification ; and because young libertines, persons 
blinded by their passions, would ridicule us, we, therefore, 
either abandon the service of God, or are ashamed to be 
considered as his disciples. What inliituation ! Do we 
fear more to incur disgrace with the impious, than to 



256 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAN. 

become the object of G-od's hatred and indignation ? 
What a crime to give the preference to the creature 
rather than to the Creator ! If God be for us, what have 
we to fear from the impious ? If God be against us, 
what assistance can they render us ? When we are 
about to perish, can they save us ? When God condemns 
us, can they take upon them om' defence 1 We blush, 
forsooth, at our fidelity in discharging our duties, though 
this, on the contrary, should constitute our glory. What 
an inconsistency ! what an opposition to the light of 
reason and to all the principles of natural equity ! It is 
the vicious, not the virtuous, that ought to blush ^ for 
shame is attached to crime, not to innocence. But who 
are those censors of the virtuous, those men whom we 
so much desire to please, whose suffrages we seek to 
gain ? They are men, the greater number of whom 
groan under the shameful yoke of their brutal passions ; 
Mdio are inwardly torn by cruel remorse, and tormented 
by the reproaches of conscience, whose importunate 
voice they wish to stifle ; and they seek to multiply 
companions in their disorders, and thus encourage 
themselves by their numbers. Whilst outwardly they 
inveigh against piety, they cannot help respecting it in 
their heart, and feeling a regret for its loss. While 
they persecute the just, they privately esteem them and 
envy their happy state j and, had they a treasure which 
they wished to be securely preserved, it is to the 
virtuous, and not to their vicious companions, they would 
confide its keeping. 



An officer, illustrious both for his birth and fortune, 
was on the point of obtaining a very lucrative situation, 
when he was accused of being a Christian, that religion 
excluding him, by the laws, from all offices and 
dignities. The governor gave him four hours for con- 
sideration, and told him to weigh well what he was 
going to do. During the interval which had thus been 
given him, he was visited by the bishop, who took 
by the hand, led him to the church, and begged of 



INSTITUTION OF THE BLESSED EUCAHRIST. 257 

him to enter tlie sanctuary. Here, at the foot of 
the altar, the bishop pointed to the sword which the 
officer wore, and presenting him, at the same time, a 
copy of the Gospels, asked him which he would 
choose. The officer, without hesitation, with his right 
hand took hold of the sacred book. '' Adhere, then, to 
God,^^ said the holy Bishop ] '' be faithful to Him ; He 
will fortif}^^ you and recompense your choice. — Depart in 
peace.^^ The officer went from the church, and present- 
ing himself before the governor, made a generous 
confession of his faith in Jesus Christ. Sentence of 
death was then pronounced upon him ; and, by exphing 
for his faith in sharp but passing torments, he merited 
eternal and ineffable joys. — Meratjlt. 



Exercises. — 1. How many obligations does Confirmation 
impose ? — 2. What are the obligations of the confirmed Chris- 
tian ? — 3. What do the sign of the cross on the forehead, and the 
slight blow on the cheek, signify ? — 4. Are those who censure 
the virtuous very honorable ? 



CHAPTEH IV. 

OE THE BLESSED EUCHAEIST. 

SECTION I. 

Of the Institution of the Blessed Eucharist^ and of 
Transubstantiation, 

The Blessed Eucharist is the body and blood, soul 
and divinity, of Jesus Christ, under the appearances of 
bread and wine. It is the greatest and most august of 
all the sacraments. The other sacraments confer some 
particular graces ] but this bestows upon us the Author of 
grace, oar Lord Jesus Christ himself. B}^ it he abides 
in us, and we in him. Our Lord, long before he instituted 
this wonderful sacrament, had promised that he would 
give it, as we read in the sixth chapter of St. John's 
Gospel. After having said to the Jews, " I am the 
living bread, which come down from Heaven," he added : 
'^ The bread that I will give, is my flesh for the life of 



258 DUTXES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

the world/^ Tlie Jews murmured at what he had said, 
but he repeated it ia still stronger terms : " Amen, 
amen, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the Son 
of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in 
you. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, 
abideth in me, and I in him."* This promise, so 
clearly given, he fulfilled on the eve of his passion, in 
the supper-room in which he eat the paschal lamb, with 
his disciples. ^* And taking bread," says the Evangelist, 
'' he gave thanks, and brake, and gave to them, saying : 
This is my body which is given for you. Do this for 
a commemoration of me. In like manner the chalice 
also, after he had supped, saying : This is the chalice, 
the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for 
you." t 

The outward appearances of bread and wine are the 
sensible sign which represents the invisible effects which 
this holy sacrament produces. They signify that the body 
and blood of Jesus Christ are the spiritual nourishment 
of the soul, as bread and wine are the nourishment of 
the body. Although these outward appearances, the 
taste, color, and form, of bread and wine, remain the 
same after consecration as they were before, yet there 
is no longer either bread or wine ] the substance of the 
bread bemg changed into the body of Jesus Christ, and 
the substance of the wine into his blood : so that the 
same body w^hich w^as nailed for us to the cross, and is 
now glorious in heaven, is, at the same time, really 
present, under the appearance of bread, on our altars. 
As the body of our Lord is a li^nng body, it follows that 
he is whole and entire under each species, and under 
each particle of the same species. Under the appear- 
ance of bread, the body of Jesus Christ is united to his 
blood, his soul, and his divinity ; and under the appear- 
ance of wine, his blood is united with his body, his soul, 
and divinity ; for now that Jesus Christ is glorious and 
immortal he cannot be divided; his blood is not 
separable from his body : where the one is, the other 

* John, xi, 51 52, 54, 57. 
t Luke, xxii, 19/ 20. See also Matt., xxvi, 26-28. 



INSTITUTIO:tf OF THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 259 

must necessarily be. We receive, then, our Lord Jesus 
Christ whole and entire, true Grod and true man, by 
communicating under either of the species, as we would, 
if we received under both. 

This admirable change is effected by the omnipotent 
words of Jesus Christ, which the priest pronounces in his 
name. Yes ; our Lord himself, who formerly changed 
water into wine at the marriage feast at Cana, and who, 
out of nothing, created all things, operates this wonder by 
the instrumentality of his priests. It is as easy for him 
to change one substance into another, as it was in the 
beginning to create the universe by a single word. We 
cannot, indeed, understand how all these wonders are 
effected, but we know, that '' no word shall be impos- 
sible with God ; '^ * and we believe them on the word 
of Jesus Christ, who, for us, and for our sanctification, 
has been pleased to do more than we can comprehend. 
We believe, on the testimony of God himself, that He 
is really present in the holy sacrament of the altar ; 
that, to unite himseK intimately with us, He has been 
pleased to become himself our food ; and that He 
nourishes our soul with the very blood which He shed 
for us upon the cross, and the very flesh which He 
offered as a victim for our redemption. He has, then, 
been prodigal in performing wonders in order to procure 
for us this happiness. 



St. Ambrose, in one of his discourses, addressing the 
martyr St. Lawrence, speaks thus : " Whence comes, 
then, illustrious martyr of Christ ! whence comes the 
indomitable courage which makes you support, with 
apparent insensibility, the most frightful torments that 
can be inflicted'? The fire consumes your members, 
and you are undaunted in the presence- of your tor- 
mentors and executioners. Ah ! it is because you have 
received, in the holy communion, the body of your 
divine. Master ; it is because the blood of the Strong and 
the Mighty is circulating in your veins !^^ 

* Luke., i, 37. 



260 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIA]^?-. 

Exercises. — 1. What is the Blessed Eucharist ? — 2. By what 
words did our divine Lord promise the Eucharist ? — 3. When 
and how did he fulfil this promise ? — 4. Into what are the sub- 
stances of the bread and wine changed ? — 5. Is Jesus Christ 
whole and entire under each species ? — 6. How is this admirable 
change effected ? — 7. What will aid us to believe all those wonders 
though thej are above our understanding ? 



SECTION 11. 

Of the Dispositions JSFecessary for Beeeiving the Holy 

Communion, 

There is no one of the sacraments which unites us so 
intimately with God, as the Blessed Eucharist ; there is, 
consequently, none for which we should prepare with so 
much care. The more holy a sacrament is, the more 
holy should be our dispositions for receiving it. When 
we are about to communicate, it is not for man, it is for 
God himself, that we prepare a dwelling. The disposi- 
tions which we should bring are of two kinds ; one regards 
the soul, and the other, the body. The first disposition 
of the soul is purity of conscience. A man must '^ prove 
himself,"* according to the precept of the apostle, before 
he eats this heavenly bread, and, if his conscience is 
charged with any mortal offence, he must have recourse 
to the sacrament of penance to obtain pardon before he 
communicates. The Holy Eucharist supposes spiritual 
life in those who receive it ; therefore, to be nourished 
by it, we must be living the life of grace. It is the 
God of purity who comes to visit us ; He would enter 
with horror into an impure heart. The washing of the 
apostles' feet before He gave them his flesh to eat and 
his blood to drink, is a lively figure of the purity with 
which we should approach this divine banquet. In the 
primitive Church, the deacon, before the consecration of 
the divine mysteries, turned to the people, saying in 
a loud voice, ^' Things that are holy are but for the 
holy.'' The sanctity of baptism, either preserved, from 
the time of its reception, or, if lost, repaired by penance, 
is the ^^ wedding garment," t with which we must be 
* 1 Cor., xi, 28. t Matt., xxii, 13. 



THE DISPOSITIONS FOK COMMUNIOK. 261 

attired when we would partake of the banquet; of the 
'' Father of the family.'^ This purity of the heart is the 
most essential of the dispositions for partaking of this 
holy sacrament j but we should be careful to join with 
it a lively faith, a firm hope, and an ardent charity. 

The Church calls the Holy Eucharist a sacrament of 
faith ; he who approaches it must believe without the 
shadow of doubt, that it is our Lord Jesus Christ whom 
he is going to receive ; he who came into this world, and 
suffered death for our salvation ; who rose glorious and 
immortal from the dead ; and is now in heaven at the 
right hand of his Eternal Father. 

A firm hope consists in expecting, with confidence, 
from Jesus Christ; all that we ask of him with reference 
to our salvation. Since he gives himself entirely to us, 
what can he refuse us 1 He declares that he who eats 
his flesh and drinks his blood has everlasting life, and 
that he will raise him up at the last day. After such 
a promise what confidence ought we not to have in his 
goodness ! We should approach the holy table with the 
same dispositions as the woman of the Gospel, who said 
within herself: ^Tf I shall touch only his garment, I 
shall be healed : ^^ * and she was accordingly cured in 
the same hour. 

The Eucharist is a sacrament of love ,• it was 
througli this most incomprehensible love that our Lord 
instituted it. Would it not be monstrous ingratitude 
to receive Jesus Christ into a cold or indifferent heart 1 
But this Jove should be accompanied with profound 
sentiments of humility, adoration, and gratitude. 

Whom do we receive in the Holy Eucharist *? God 
himself, the Creator and Sovereign Lord of the universe ! 
He whose power, sanctity, and other perfections, are 
infinite ! Who are we 1 We are of ourselves but 
nothingness and sin. We should, then, humble our- 
selves before our God, and acknowledge with the cen- 
turion in the Gospel, that we are not worthy to approach 
Him. We should adore Him with a holy fear, and 
prostrate ourselves humbly before Him j for although 
Matt._, ix, 21. 



262 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

He is hidden under tlie veils of the Eucharistic symbols, 
He is not tlie less our God. We should excite in our 
heart an unbounded gratitude ; for if gratitude should 
be commensurate with the benefit received, what ought 
to be its extent for a gift which is infinite ! 

The body should also, in its own way, contribute to 
honor the divine Guest that we are going to receive. 
First, it is necessary that we be fasting from the preced- 
ing midnight, as the Church has expressly commajided, 
through respect for this august sacrament. She, how- 
ever, dispenses with the command in those who, being 
dangerously sick, receive the Blessed Eucharist as a 
viaticum, or as a preparation for thek last passage. 
Secondly, the body should be in a respectful and kneeling 
posture. This exterior reverence should proceed from, 
and be the expression of, the interior sentiments of the 
soul, humbled profoundly before the supreme majesty 
of God. 

Almighty God, being provoked by the cruelty of 
Pharaoh, and moved by the just complaints of his 
chosen people, resolved to punish this obstinate prince, 
and to deliver them from the tyrant^s yoke.. When 
the time marked in his eternal decrees had arrived, God 
sent his exterminating angel, who, in one night, killed 
all the first-born of the Egyptians, having beforehand 
commanded his people to sacrifice and eat a lamb in 
every family, and to sprinkle with its blood the doors 
of their houses, that the angel, the minister of his 
vengeance, might spare the children of his own people. 
After this He nourished them for forty years in the 
desert, with manna from heaven. In these two favors 
bestowed by God on his people, we have striking figures 
of the Holy Eucharist. The similitude between the 
figure and the reality is clearly discernible. The 
Israelites, the chosen people of God, were alone com- 
manded to sacrifice the mysterious lamb ; the exterminat- 
ing angel spared the first-born of the families whose 
doors were marked with its blood. Christians alone 
have the right of immolating the divine Paschal Lamb. 



THE EFFECTS OE THE HOLT EUCHARIST. 263 

The angel, the minister of God's vengeance, will spare 
all those who are marked^ with his blood ; and our 
Lord has commanded the faithful to renew frequently 
the offering of this sacrifice, in memory of their deliver- 
ance by his death from the tyranny of the devil. The 
manna, that heavenly nourishment with wliich God 
preserved his people, was also a very appropriate figure 
of the sacrament of the altar. It was called the bread 
of Heaven j its taste was the most delicious that can 
be imagined : the Israelites were fed with it only after 
their deliverance from the bondage of Pharaoh. * The 
Eucharist, as our Lord tells us, is the living bread 
which came down from Heaven; it is the faithful 
source of all graces, but no one can be nourished with 
it until he has shaken off' the yoke of the devil 5 that 
is, until he has been delivered from the slavery of 
sin. 



Exercises. — 1. How are we to prepare for the reception of 
the Holy Eucharist? — 2. How many dispositions are requisite, 
and in what do they consist ? 



i 

1 



SECTION III. 

Of the 'Effects of the Holy Eucharist. 

This sacrament produces most admu^able effects in 
those who receive it with due dispositions. The first 
is to unite and incorporate us with Jesus Christ. We 
become united to him by faith, when we believe the 
truths which he has revealed, and by charity, when we 
love him with a perfect love. By faith, we pay him 
the homage of our understanding ; by charity, we give 
him our heart. There is another union, however, much 
more intimate and perfect ; it is that which is effected 
by the participation of his sacred flesh and precious 
bk)od ; and this union is the proper effect of the 
Blessed Eucharist. Jesus Christ gives himself entirely 
to us ; he unites his sacred body with om's ] and, by 
* See Exodus, xii and xvi. 



264 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

this union, we become one and the same body— one 
and the same spirit with him. As the food which we 
take nomishes our body, so the Holy Eucharist is the 
nourishment of our soul ] for even as our corporal food 
is changed into om' substance, so the holy communion 
transforms us into Jesus Christ. Hence, St. Paul says, 
'' I live, now not 1 5 but Christ liveth in me.'^* 

The second effect of the Holy Eucharist is to augment, 
confirm, and preserve in us, the spiritual life of grace. 
Our Blessed Savior, becoming the food of our soul, does 
not remain inactive within us : he gives an increase of 
sanctifying grace, confirms us in divine love, and 
enables us to preserve that precious treasure with a 
constant fidelity. Hence, the remarkable sanctity 
which we witness in such as communicate worthily • 
and what is it but the frequent and devout reception of 
the adorable sacrament, the bread of the strong, that 
supports that young man, though beset with dangers, 
in a piety which edifies his entire neighborhood, and in 
a regularity of conduct which renders him the model of 
his family ? 

The third effect of this august sacrament, is to weaken 
concupiscence, and to moderate the violence of our 
passions. We are born with a strong inclination to 
evil ,• it is as a venom which has spread itself through 
our whole nature by the sin of our first parents. The 
Eucharist does not altogether deliver us from it, but it 
enfeebles its malignity ; and for this reason the holy 
fathers have called it an antidote, a counter-poison. 
This effect is always experienced by those who receive 
this sacrament frequently and worthily : they feel their 
tendency to evil diminish, their inclination to good 
increase, and the strength and power of their spiritual 
enemy daily become more and more enfeebled. 

The fourth effect of the Eucharist is to give us a 
pledge of eternal life, and of a glorious resurrection. 
Jesus Christ himself teaches this consoling truth : 
'' He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,'' 
says he, ^' hath everlasting life ; and I will raise him 
* Gal., ii, 20. 



THE EFFECTS OF THE HOLT EUCHARIST. 265 

up in the last day." * Tlie life which the Holy Eucha- 
rist communicates to the soul is a beginnings and, as it 
were, a foretaste of a blessed life j and this will remain 
with us and be eternal, unless we, through our own 
fault, deprive ourselves of its possession. This divine 
sacrament affects even the body, and is, as it were, the 
seed and germ of immortality, which will one day 
cause it to rise from the grave, and invest it with 
glorious qualities. The presence of Jesus Christ in us, 
becomes an assured pledge of a glorious immortality, 
but it is to a fervent communion that these blessed 
effects are attributable. If our communions be tepid, 
that is, if they be made without sincere piety, or with 
an affection to venial sin, they cannot be expected to 
produce such effects ; but if they be unworthy, that is, 
made in the state of mortal sin, we become guilty of 
profaning the body of the Lord, which is a horrible 
sacrilege, and one of the most heinous crimes. 

Whilst om^ Lord Jesus Christ was one day teaching at 
Capernaum, those who heard him, put to him the 
following question : '^ What shall we do that we may 
work the works of Grod'?" to which he replied, " This 
is the work of Grod, that you believe in him whom He 
hath sent." At these words the Jews replied : ^^ What 
sign, therefore, dost thou show that we may see and 
may believe thee 1 what dost thou work ? Our fathers 
did eat manna in the desert, as it is written — He gave 
them bread from Heaven to eatP Then Jesus said to 
them : ^^ Amen amen, I say to you, Moses gave you 
not bread from Heaven, but my Father giveth you the 
true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is 
that which cometh down from Heaven and giveth life 
to the world. I am the bread of life. Your fathers 
did eat manna in the desert, and are dead. This is the 
bread which cometh down from Heaven ; that if any 
man eat of it, he may not die. I am the living bread 
which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of 
this bread he shall live forever j and the bread that I 
* Johii; vi; 55. 
12 



266 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

will give, is my flesh for tlie life of the world. For 
my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 
He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, abideth 
in me and I in him.'^ What more clear than these 
words of the Eternal Truth ? '^ The bread that I will 

give is my flesh my flesh is meat indeed, and my 

blood is drink indeed.*^ Do they not show, beyond 
the shadow of doubt, the real presence of our Lord 
Jesus Christ in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist ? — 
St. JoHisr, yi. 



Exercises. — 1. What effects does the Holy Eucharist produce 
in those who receive it worthily ? — 2. What is the second effect of 
the Holy Eucharist ?— 3. What is the third ?— 4. The fourth ?-- 
5. To what kind of Communion are these blessed effects 
attributable ? 



SECTIO:^ IV. 

Of an TJmvorthy Communion, 

Those who communicate in the state of mortal sin^ 
receive, indeed, the body and blood of Jesus Christ, but 
they receive not the grace and salutary efiects of this 
sacrament. According to the alarming words of St. 
Paul, such persons eat and drink their own judgment 
and condemnation. ^^ Whosoever,'^ he says, ^^ shall eat 
this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily,^' 
that is to say, in the state of mortal sin, '^ shall be guilty 
of the body and blood of the Lord ; and eateth and 
drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body 
of the Lord." * These w^ords teach us how great is the 
crime of an unworthy communion, and how awful are 
its consequences. This crime is the most dreadful of all 
sacrileges ] it is the profanation of the most august of all 
the sacraments, and of all that is most holy in religion ; 
it profanes, in the most outrageous manner, the humanity 
and divinity of Jesus Christ j it unites, as far as in its 
power, infinite sanctity with iniquity, making the ador- 
able blood of our divine Savior flow through veins in- 
* 1 Cor., xi, 27, 29. 



UNWORTHY commtjkio:n". 267 

fected with the abominable venom of sin. The un- 
worthy comnmnicant is guilty of a perfidy and a treason 
similar to that of Judas : like him^ he delivers his divine 
Master to his most cruel enemies ; like him^ having been 
loaded with benefits, he violates the most sacred rights 
of friendship and gratitude j he crucifies him anew ; he 
makes him the sport of his vile passions, ai:d tramples 
under foot the blood of the New Covenant. How 
appalling are the consequences of this enormous crime ! 
He who communicates unw^orthily, eats and drinks 
judgment and damnation. The unworthy communicant 
eats and drinks the very decree that condemns him ; he 
incorporates himself with it, and renders that decree in 
some sort inevitable. Food is inseparable from him 
who takes it ; it changes itself into his flesh and blood y 
it becomes one and the same thing with him, so that it 
is impossible again to separate them. In like manner, 
the unworthy communicant eats his judgment 5 he 
changes it, if we may so speak, into himself ; his con- 
demnation is written, not in a book, nor upon tables of 
stone or marble, but upon his own heart ; it passes, as 
it were, into his veins ; he carries it incessantly with 
him. terrible punishment, which can come but from 
the anger of a God cruelly outraged ! It ordinarily 
happens that he who commits this crime, falls into hard- 
ness of heart and a blindness of mind, which lead to final 
impenitence. Of this we have a frightful example in 
the perfidy of Judas. Hardly had he received the Holy 
Eucharist, when his mind became obscured, and his heart 
insensible ; nothing any longer arrested his course ; he 
arose abruptly from the table, and consummated his 
crime. And how did his sacrilege terminate? In 
despair, death, and eternal reprobation. We must not, 
however, conclude from alkthis, that a person who has 
made an unworthy communion, should despair of his 
savation. God forbid. How great soever hi.s crime 
may be, he has a resource, for the mercy of God is 
infinite, and if he recurs to it with an humble and con- 
trite heart, he will not be rejected : the precious blood 
which he has profaned can yet purify him. But what 



268 DUTIES or A CHEISTIAK. 

we are to conclude is^ that this crime is hard to be 
expiated ; that he who profanes the body and blood of 
the Lord, is seldom found to enter into himself; and 
that every precaution should be taken against so dread- 
ful an evil : yet should we happen to commit it, we must 
repent without delay, and have recourse as soon as 
possible to the sacrament of Penance. 

The Holy Scriptures furnish an awful example of the 
effects of an unworthy communion, in the person of 
Judas, who had the wickedness to receive our Lord, 
though his soul was sullied with the crime of avarice, 
and his mind full of the dark project of betraying him. 
Xo sooner had he communicated, than Satan entered 
into him ; he sold his good Master, and delivered him 
to his enemies ; nor could the embrace of the Son of 
God, nor the sweet name of friend by which he ad- 
dressed him, soften his savage heart. But what was 
the end of this monster, the just object of eternal 
execration! He fell into despair, became his own 
executioner, and, having hanged himself, his bowels 
gushed out, and his unhappy soul descended into hell, 
where it has been for upwards of eighteen hundred 
years : and alas ! all these ages are not even a moment 
compared with that long eternity dming which he is to 
remain in that place of torments ! 



Exercises. — 1. What have you to say of persons who com- 
muiiicate in the state of mortal sin f — 2. What does St. Paul say 
of such persons ? — 3. Is the crime of an unworthy communion 
yery enormous^ and why ? — 4. Should he who has the misfortune 
to communicate unworthily^ despair of salyation ? 



SECTION V. 

Of Frequent Communion, 

The Apostle St. Paul, after having spoken in the 
strongest terms of the enormity of an unworthy com- 
munion, does not advise us to abstain from the Holy 
Eucharist, but says, '' Let a man prove himself, and so 



FEEQUEIS'T COMMUi^IOK. 269 

let him eat of that bread : and drink of the chalice.'^ * 
The fear of communicating unworthily should not cause 
us to withdraw from the holy table, but it ought to 
engage us to examine seriously our dispositions, and 
redouble our vigilance, that we may approach frequently 
and worthily to so august a sacrament. To communi- 
cate unworthily is, without doubt, a great evil , not to 
communicate is another ; both lead inevitably to eternal 
death. The Eucharist is necessary to preserve the soul 
in the spiritual life of grace ; for the soul, like the 
body, becomes gradually exhausted, if care is not taken 
to repair its strength. The means which Jesus Christ 
has established for preserving this strength, is the holy 
sacrament of the Eucharist. ^^ Except you eat the 
flesh of the Son of man,'' says he, '^ and drink his 
blood, you shall not have life in you." f He has in- 
stituted it under the species of bread and wine, to show 
that we ought to receive it frequently. The Holy 
Eucharist ought to be the ordinary nourishment of the 
soul, as bread and wine are the ordinary nourishment of 
the body. In the early ages of Christianity, the faithful 
well understood this truth ; they regarded the Holy 
Eucharist as the daily bread of the children of Grod ; 
they received it, therefore, every day, and feared 
nothing so much as to be deprived of this precious 
nourishment. The Council of Trent declares its desire 
that the faithful, every day they assist at Mass, partici- 
pate, not only spiritually, but really, of this divine ban- 
quet. Another Council, after deploring the negligence 
of Christians in communicating once a year, exhorts all 
pastors to instruct their people on the former frequent 
use of communion in the Church ; on the wonderful 
fruit it produced j and to persuade them, that there was 
no means more proper for bringing back those happy 
days of primitive fervor, than the devout receptioii of 
the adorable Eucharist. If, then, the Church does not 
rigorously oblige the faithful to more than one com- 
munion in the year, it is not that she thinks this one 
communion sufficient to preserve, in her children, the 
* 1 Cor., xi; 28. t John, vi, 54. 



270 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

spirit aal life of grace : she does not impose upon them 
tlie obligation of communicating more fi"equently/ 
through fear of maltiplving transgressions or sacrileges j 
but she desires that they should be sufficiently pure to 
communicate as frequently as would be necessary for 
presersnng, by \drtue of the Eucharist, the life and 
vigor of their souls. If we love God, we would fre- 
quently unite ourselves to Him • He invites us to this 
sacred banquet : ^^ Come to me, all you that labor and 
are burdened, and I will refi'esh you ; '' * come with 
confidence, and fear nothing ; come to me, your Father, 
and I will give you the most touching pledge of my 
affection] come to me, your God, and I will replenish 
you with my most precious graces. The most prudent 
course that can be pm^sued with regard to frequent 
communion is, to go frequently to confession, at least 
at the approach of the great festivals, and then follow 
the advice of the confessor, as to the occasions on which 
we should approach the sacred table. Another practice 
extremely advantageous is, to make, from time to time, 
a spiritual communion. It may be made in the follow- 
ing manner : recollect yourself for a moment, and 
profoundly adore om' Lord j^resent in the Holy Eucha- 
rist; then, v\ith an ardent desu"e of receiving Jesus 
Christ really, invite him reverently to come into your 
heart, and take entire possession of it. 



A little boy, named Albinus, not having yet arrived 

at the age required for fct communion, sighed 
incessantly for the happy day on which he was to receive 
his God, hidden under the Eucharistic veils, and he 
spared no pains to dispose himself for so holy an action. 
So lively was his horror of sin, that he di'eaded even 
the shadow of e\dl. Frequently was he heard to say, 
that he would not suffer the devil to enter his heart, 
before his Lord and Redeemer. He applied himself 
constantly to learn all that he should know concerning 
the sacrament of the altar, and not only endeavored 
to retain well the words of his catechism, but by 
Matt.; xi, 23. 



THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. 271 

seeking instruction and by reflection^ be endeavored also 
to penetrate tbeir meaning. Tbe innocence of tbis life, 
tbe extreme desire wbicb he expressed, and tbe fervor 
and earnestness witb wbicb he prepared himself, 
determined his confessor to admit him to the holy table 
at an earlier age than other children. Albinus, witb 
lively sentiments of joy and gratitude, thanked bis 
confessor, and thought of nothing but of redoubling bis 
efforts to purify his soul more and more, and of pre- 
paring it as a dwelling not unworthy of tbe divine 
Guest who was about to visit it. Before his communion, 
he made a spiritual retreat, and a general confession. 
To see tbe torrent of tears which he shed, and tbe lively 
sorrow of heart which he manifested, one would sup- 
pose that there was not a greater sinner upon earth. 
Although he bad never sullied the precious robe of bis 
baptismal innocence by the commission of a single 
mortal sin, yet the light of grace, which dwelt within 
him, made him regard bis lightest faults as so many 
odious monsters, and caused him to grieve continually, 
that he had been so unfortunate as to offend, even 
venially, a God so good and loving, whom he was now 
to receive as the nourishment of bis soul. 

In these, and similar sentiments, be passed his retreat. 
The happy moment, for which be bad long sighed, 
having at length arrived, he received the holy com- 
munion. It would be impossible to describe adequately 
his piety and angelic demeanor on this solemn occasion. 
The devotion of bis heart manifested itself in sighs, 
tears, and transports of love and gratitude. " Yes, my 
God," said be, ^^ since Thou hast been so good as to 
give Thyself to me, I give myself entirely to Thee ; 
since Thou hast united Thyself so intimately witb me, 
nothing shall henceforth separate me from Thee. I 
should, indeed, be the most ungrateful of creatures, if I 
did not consecrate my heart, without reserve, to a God 
who has loved me with an infinite love.'' 

These were not the sentiments of a passing fervor, 
wbicb vanish with tbe occasion that gave them birth. 
Albinus never forgot this blessed and happy day, nor the 



272 DUTIES or A CHKISTIAN. 

engagements wliicli lie then contracted with God. The 
body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ wHch he 
received, became to him a salutary nourishment, which 
produced a sensible increase in virtue and piety. Far 
from satisfying his hunger, this heavenly bread served, 
on the contrary, but to redouble it. He continued to 
approach the holy table every fortnight, knowing well 
that this heavenly food is as necessary for the soul, as 
earthly nomishment is for the body^ and that it is 
impossible to persevere constantly in the path of 
innocence and piety, without frequently receiving this 
adorable sacrament. 



Exercises. — 1. Should the fear of communicating nnworthilj 
prevent us from approaching the Holy Eucharist ? — 2. What 
was the practice of the primitive Christians respecting the Holy 
Communion ? — 3. Why does the Church not require us to com- 
municate oftener than once a year ? — 4. How may spmtual Com- 
munion be made ? 



SECTION VI. 

Of the Smrifice of tlie Mass, 

The Eucharist is not only a sacrament, in which our 
Lord Jesus Christ gives himself to us to be the spiritual 
nourishment of our soul ] it is also a sacrifice, in which 
he offers himself for us as a victim to his Eternal 
Father. Not satisfied with having once offered himself 
upon the cross for om^ redemption, he has left in his 
Church a sacrifice, which represents that of the cross, 
applies to us its merits, and which will perpetuate its 
remembrance to the end of the world. It was for this 
reason, that having at his last supper offered his sacred 
body and blood, under the appearances of bread and 
wine, to his Eternal Father, and given them to be 
eaten and drunk by the apostles, he constituted these 
apostles priests of the New Covenant, commanding 
them and their successors in the ministry to do w^hat he 
had done. ^^Do this,'' said he, "for a commemoration 



THE SACEIEICE OE THE MASS. 273 

of me.'^ * Sucli is, and lias been, at all times, tlie 
universal belief of the Catholic Churcli. 

The sacrifice of the Mass is the representation and 
the renewal of that of the cross ; the representation, 
because the separate consecration of the bread and wine 
reminds us forcibly of the real separation of our Lord^s 
body and blood, which took place at his death ; the re- 
newal, because it is the same Victim, the same Host, the 
same High Priest, and consequently, the same sacrifice, 
which is offered on the altar, as was once offered upon the 
cross. The onl}^ difference is in the manner of offering. 
On the cross, Christ offered himself by himself; on the 
altar, he offers himself by the ministry of his priests ; 
on the cross, he offered himself in a bloody manner • on 
the altar, he offers himself in an unbloody manner. 
Such is the sacrifice of the Christian religion ; an 
august sacrifice, which unites in itself all the advantages 
of which the different sacrifices of the Old Law were but 
the types and figures. It is a sacrifice of adoration, by 
which we acknowledge the sovereign dominion which God 
has over all his creatures ; a sacrifice of thanksgiving 
by which we thank Him for all his benefits ; a sacrifice 
of impetration, by which we obtain new favors ; and a 
Bacrifice of propitiation, by wdiich we appease his justice. 

By the oblation which Jesus Christ makes of himself 
to his Father, he renders the most perfect homage that 
can be offered to the Deity ,* and nothing can incline 
God more efficaciously to look on us with an eye of 
mercy, than to remind Him of the cruel death to which 
his beloved Son willingly submitted, in order to reconcile 
us with Him. 

Instructed in the Eucharistic mystery, persuaded that 
Jesus Christ is really present upon the altar, and that 
he there renews and perpetuates the remembrance of 
his death, with what piety and gratitude ought we 
to assist at this august sacrifice ! Had we been present on 
Calvary at the crucifixion of our Lord, would we not 
have been penetrated with sorrow, compunction, and 
love, at beholding so touching a spectacle"? And since 
* Luke, XX ii, 19. 



274 DUTIES or A che,istia:n^. 

tlie sacrifice of the Mass is the very same as that of the 
cross, ought not the like sentiments to animate us when 
we assist at it ; we should offer the Mass to God in 
union with the priest, and for the intentions with which 
he offers. We should, in particular, offer this adorable 
sacrifice to render to God the sovereign worship which 
is due to Him alone, in thanksgiving for all his benefits, 
for the remission of our sins, and to obtain all the 
graces of which we stand in need. 

The Mass can be offered to God only, because it is a 
homage of our dependence and servitude. It is some- 
times offered in memory of the saints, to praise and 
thank God for the victories which they have obtained 
by the assistance of his grace, and for the glory with 
w^hich He has crowned them in heaven, and to beg 
that they may unite their prayers with ours while w^e 
assist at this holy sacrifice. It is offered not only for the 
living but also for the dead, who are still expiating their 
sins in purgatory. The Church begs for them, through 
the merits of this sacrifice, that their souls may be com- 
forted in the pains which they suffer, and that they may 
be speedily delivered from them, and enter into heaven. 
This offering of sacrifice for the dead is of the earliest 
antiquity, and has come down to us from the very 
time of the apostles. 



A good and pious mother of a family w^as accustomed 
to hear Mass everv dav. On Sundav, she offered it to 
comply wdth the precept of the Church ; on Monda}^, 
for the souls in purgatory ; on Tuesday, for the conver- 
sion of sinners, and perseverance of the just 5 on 
Wednesday, to thank God for the favors bestowed on the 
angels and saints ; on Thursday, in honor of Jesus 
Christ, in the most Blessed Sacrament ; on Friday, in 
honor of his sacred passion ; and on Saturday, in honor of 
the Blessed Virgin Mary, placing herself and her family 
under her protection. She was long faithful to this 
pious practice, and was convinced, that, by means of it, 
she had drawn doT\Ti many blessings on herself and 
familv. 



THE NECESSITY OE PENANCE. 275 

William Rnfiiij a student, whose life was a model of 
youthful piety, felt the greatest delight in assisting at 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass. He acquitted himself 
of this duty with such tender piety and angelic fervor^ 
that it was impossible to see him without being excited 
to devotion j and we may safely assert, that it was by 
means of this holy exercise, that he obtained from 
God many of those extraordinary graces, which elevated 
him to so eminent a degree of sanctity. — Carbon. 

Exercises. — 1. Is the Eucharist anything else than a sacra- 
ment ? — 2, What name is given to the Eucharist considered as a 
sacrifice ? — 3. Of what is the sacrifice of the Mass the represen- 
tation and renewal ? — 4. Of what duties do we acquit ourselv^es 
by the sacrifice of the Mass ? — 5. What homage does Jesus 
Christ render the Deity by this adorable sacrifice ? — 6. How 
should we assist at the holy sacrifice of the Mass ? — 7. To whom 
alone is the sacrifice of the Mass oflered? — 8. Is this sacrifice 
ofiered up only for the living ? 



CHAPTER V. 

OF THE SACEAMENT OF PENANCE. 

SECTION I. 

Of the Nature, Form^ and Necessity of Penance. 

Penance is a sacrament whicli remits the sins com- 
mited after baptism ^ liowever great or numerous tliey 
may be, provided the sinner accuses himself of them 
with the necessary dispositions. This sacrament was 
instituted by Jesus Christ, when, after his resurrection, 
he breathed upon his apostles, and said : ^^ Receive ye 
the Holy Ghost ; whose sins you shall forgive, they 
are forgiven them ; and whose sins you shall retain, 
they are retained."* Again he says, ^^Amen, I say to 
you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be 
V)ound also in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose 
upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven." t 

The forvi of this sacrament consists in the words of 
tlie priest, who is the minister of it : '^ I ^absolve thee 
** John, XX, 22, 23. t Matt., xviii, 18, 



276 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAN". 

from thy sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost." The remote and necessary 
matter of this sacrament is, every mortal sin, com- 
mitted after baptism, and not already confessed. Suffi- 
cientj though not necessary, matter j is every venial sin 
committed after baptism, as is also every mortal sin, 
which was duly confessed. The proximate matter con- 
sists in the acts of the penitent ; viz., contrition, confes- 
sion, and satisfaction, the last of which is only integral 5 
the two first are essential. 

Hear the Fathers of Trent on the necessity of the 
sacrament of penance : ^^ For those who fall into sin 
after baptism," said they, '' the sacrament of penance is 
as necessary to salvation, as baptism for those who have 
not been already baptized." St. Jerome calls penance 
^' SL second plank 5 " for, ^^ as he who suffers shipwreck," 
observes the Catechism of the Council of Trent, ^^ has 
no hope of safety, unless, perchance, he seize on some 
plank from the mi eck ; so he that suffers the shipwreck 
of baptismal innocence, unless he cling to the saving 
plank of penance, may abandon all hope of salvation." 

Whoever, then, has committed mortal sin, cannot 
obtain the remission of it but by means of this sacra- 
ment, or by an act of perfect contrition, which includes 
the deske of receiving it. Let no one, therefore, say, 
^^ I will do penance in private ; I will do penance before 
God." This does not suffice, says St. Augustine 5 you 
must have recom-se to the sacrament. As the sins com- 
mitted before baptism can be remitted only by this first 
sacrament, so the sins committed after baptism cannot 
be remitted but by the sacrament of penance. I speak 
of mortal sins, because venial sins, may be remitted by 
prayers and other good works. It is, notwithstanding, 
very useful to confess venial sins and to receive absolu- 
tion for them, because it is sometimes exceedingly 
difficult to distinguish venial sins from those which are 
mortal, and because the absolution which we receive, 
augments the gTace of God in our soul. The sacrament 
of penance is a kind of second baptism, which is offered 
to sinners who have lost the grace of the first ; but this 



THE NECESSITY OF PENANCE. 277 

second is both, painful and laborious ; it requires tears, 
sighs, and labors. In the first baptism, God displays 
his pure mercy, and grants the sinner pardon without 
any reserve whatever j in the second, He mixes justice 
with mercy, and is reconciled with him on conditions 
painful and humiliating. Besides, the holy rigors of 
penance are not only a salutary remedy for the expiation 
of past sins, but also a cm'b, which prevents their 
repetition ; repressing our passions, and obliging us to 
be, for the future, more vigilant and firm in resisting 
the seductive attractions of the world and the flesh. To 
receive worthily the sacrament of penance, three things 
are necessary ; namely, contrition, confession, and satis- 
faction. 



Monseigneur de La Mothe d'Orleans, bishop of 
Amiens, confessed every eight days. During his pre- 
paration he usually made three stations ; the first in 
hell, the second in heaven, and the third on Calvary. 
He first entered in spirit the prison of the damned, and 
imagined he there saw the place to which he feared he 
had deserved to be consigned in the midst of devouring 
and eternal fire, in the society of the reprobate. He 
then returned thanks to God for having hitherto pre- 
served him from falling into this frightful abyss 5 
begged of Him to show him mercy ; and prayed for all the 
graces necessary for his perseverance in virtue. He 
then entered the abode of the blessed — the dwelling 
place of glory and happiness, — and wept to think that 
by sin he had closed its gates ; he begged of the Lord 
to open them to him, and invoked the Blessed Virgin 
and the saints to assist him that, by their intercession, 
he might obtain a share in the happiness which they 
possess, and that glory with which they are crowned. 
He afterwards went in spirit to Mount Calvary, and 
reflecting devoutly and attentively on all our Blessed 
Lord had suffered, he said : ^^ Behold my work ! I am 
the cause of those sorrows which my Lord has endured ; 
my sins, with those of other sinners, have covered the 
body of the Man-G od with wounds and blood, and have 



278 DUTIES OE A CHRISTIAN, 

nailed him to tlie cross. good Jesus ! what evil hast 
thou done ? How have I been capable of treating thee 
so cruelly^ who art deserving of an infinite love ! Thou, 

dearest Eedeemer, art infinitely good ! shall I not, 
therefore, love thee with all my strength ? Yes, Lord, 

1 love thee with my whole heart ; and I bitterly regret 
that I have ever offended thee ! ^' 

What happy fruits should we not derive from our 
confessions, what progress should we not make in the 
way of God, were we to follow the method of this 
virtuous prelate! 



Exercises. — 1. What is Penance, and by whom was it 
instituted ? — 2. What are the form and matter of this sacrament % 
— 3. What do the holy Fathers say of the necessity of the sacra- 
ment of Penance ? — 4. What must a person do who has had the 
misfortune to lose the grace of God by mortal sin? — 5. Can 
venial sins be remitted by other means than by the sacrament of 
Penance ? — 6. What difference is there between this sacrament 
and that of Baptism ? 



SECTION II. 

Of Contrition, 

Contrition is a hearty sorrow and detestation of sin 
committed, wdth a firm resolution of sinning no more. 
This first disposition is so necessary, that, without it, no 
sin, not even venial, can be forgiven. A sick man who 
has lost the use of speech, is dispensed from confession ; 
an immediate death after confession exempts from 
satisfaction, at least in this life; but nothing whatever 
can dispense from contrition. 

God promises pardon to those only who are converted 
to Him with their whole heart, in the bitterness of 
profound sorrow, and who rend their heart and not their 
garments. Contrition, to be sincere, must have six 
conditions. It must be interior ; that is, it must be in 
the heart, and not merely upon the lips. Hence, to 
read, or to repeat acts of contrition, is not alone sufficient ,* 
it is the heart that has sinned ; in the heart, then, the 



OF CONTKITIOK. 279 

sorrow and detestation of sin must exist. Contrition 
" must be supernatural / that is, it must arise from a 
supernatural motive. It must be excited by a motion 
of the Holy Gliost, and not by a merely natural motive. 
To detest sin because it has occasioned some temjDoral 
calamity, as punishment, sickness, or loss of goods, is 
not a sorrow sufficient to obtain pardon. The motives 
of true repentance are ,• the enormity of sin ; the ofience 
it offers to God, and the displeasure it gives Him ; the 
loss of Heaven 5 the fear of hell ; our ingratitude to 
Jesus Christ, who has done and suffered so much for its 
expiation. Some one of these, or of such motives, is 
necessary in order to render our sorrow^ supernatural. 
Contrition must be sovereign / that is, it must be greater 
than any other sorrow whatever, so that we must be 
disposed to lose everything in this world, rather than 
again be guilty of sin. Sin is, in reality, the greatest of 
all evils, and causes us to lose the greatest of all goods, 
the sovereign Good. We ought, then, to be more 
afflicted for having committed it, than if we had suffered 
all possible temporal evils. It is not necessary, however, 
that this sorrow be sensible ; it can exist in the heart, 
w^ithout manifesting itself exteriorly, except by works, 
which are, at the same time, its effects, and the proofs of 
its sincerity. Contrition must be universal / that is, it 
must extend to all our mortal sins. If there remain a 
single mortal sin to which the heart is attached, there 
is no true contrition. Every mortal sin is a grievous 
injuiy to God, and deserves everlasting punishment. 
There is not one, then, which we should not sincerely 
detest, if w^e are desirous of recovering God's favor. 
Contrition must be accompanied with a firm purpose of 
sinning no more, &c. ; * for the kind of contrition 
required by the Council of Trent is, " a sorrow of the 
soul, and detestation of sin committed, with a purpose of 
sinning no more.'' In fine, contrition must also be 
accompanied with the hope of pardon ; ^^ otherwise," 
remarks St. Liguori, '' it will be like the sorrow of the 
damned, who are sorry for their sins, not because they 
* See uext section. 



280 DUTIES OF A CHRISTLO?". 

are offences against God^ but because they are the cause 
of their sufferings : but their sorrow is without hope of 
pardon.'^ 

To repent sincerely of our sins, we must beg it of 
God by humble prayer. We can go astray and offend 
God ; but we cannot, without his assistance, repent as we 
ought. We should also reflect attentively on the motives 
capable of exciting this sorrow in our heart. We should, 
consider who He is whom we have offended. He is om- 
Creator, our Father, who has given us all that we 
possess j and who deigned, in his infinite mercy, to 
redeem us with the blood of his beloved Son. We 
should also remember to what e"\nls we expose om'selves 
by sin : it renders us deserving of hell, that abyss of 
torments, rage, and despair, where body and soul shall 
burn eternally. It also deprives us of eternal happiness. 
To these considerations, we should add another, that of 
the sufferings of om' Lord Jesus Christ, and of what he 
has done for the expiation of sin, to merit for us the 
grace of true repentance, and the mercy of his Eternal 
Father. It is impossible to reflect seriously on these 
great truths, without being moved by them, or without 
conceiving a deep and sincere detestation of mortal sin. 

There are two kinds of contrition 5 perfect and im- 
perfect. Imperfect contrition is also called attrition. 
Perfect contrition is a sorrow for having offended God, 
because He is sovereignly good and amiable, and 
because sin displeases Him ; its motive is the lo\'e of 
God : and its effect is to remit sin by itself, provided 
that the person lias a sincere desire of confessing, and 
has not an opportunity of doing so at the time. Im- 
perfect contrition, or attrition, is a sorrow for having 
offended God, on account of the turpitude of sin, the 
fear of eternal punishment, or the loss of eternal beati- 
tude. Its motives not being sufficiently pm^e, it cannot 
of itseK remit sin 5 but it is sufficient when joined to 
absolution, and the confession of sins, provided that it 
contains a finn hope of pardon, and a beginning of the 
love of God. 



FIRM PURPOSE OF AMEE'DMEISTT. 281 

Contritioxi should not only embrace the past; it 
should also extend itself to the future, by a firm pur- 
pose of never again committing sin. We find in the 
penitent Magdalene an admirable model of a contrition 
possessing all the requisite conditions. As soon as 
she heard that our Lord was at the house of the Pharisee, 
faithful to the grace which impelled her, she went 
thither without delay. She was not ashamed to 
manifest her repentance before all, as she had not been 
ashamed to give public scandal, by her past irreg- 
ularities. She entered the room in which the company 
had assembled, and not daring to appear before Jesus 
Christ, she humbly cast herself at his feet, washed 
them with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. 
She then poured upon them a vessel of precious ointment, 
which she had brought with her ; thus making use, for 
the expiation of her sins, of all that she had hitherto 
employed in ofiending God. So intense was the love 
from which her grief proceeded, that she merited to hear 
from the mouth of Jesus Christ these consoling words : 
'-'• Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved 
much.'' * 



Exercises. — What is Contrition^ and what is said of its 
necessity ? — 2. What are the conditions of sincere Contrition ? — 
3. Can we^ of ourselves, repent snicerely for our sins ? — 4. What 
considerations will help to excite this sorrow % — 5. How many 
kinds of Contrition are there, and what is the difference between 
them? 



SECTION III. 

Of a Firm Purpose of sinning no more. 

We cannot obtain pardon of our sins unless we 
renounce them with our hole heart, and are disposed, 
like holy David, when he thus expressed himself : I 
have sworn and am resolved to keep God^s Command- 
ments. God himself points out the necessity of a firm 
purpose : '^ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the 
unjust man his thoughts j and let him return to the 
* LukC; vii, 47. 



28:^ DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

Lord, and He will have mercy on him/' * There is, 
then, no mercy to be hoped for, except sin is renounced. 
God will not pardon sin without sincere repentance, 
and this repentance necessarily requires a firm purpose 
of amendment ; for would it not be a mockery of God, 
to ask Him for the pardon of a sin which we were de- 
sirous of again committing ? A purpose, to be sincere, 
must have three conditions. It must be firm; that is, 
it must be a purpose of resolutely sufiering every evil 
rather than offend God by relapsing into sin ; imiversal, 
extending to every mortal sin ; and, finally, efficacious^ 
making us practise the means necessary to avoid sin. 

There are three marks by which this firm purpose 
may be known. The first is a change of life. A 
young person who was proud, obstinate, disobedient, a 
liar, negligent of his duties, dissipated in his pious 
exercises, becomes meek, humble, obedient, laborious, 
a lover of truth, recollected in prayer, modest in the 
church : here is a sensible proof of the sincerity of his 
resolution ; we can entertain no doubt that his repent- 
ance was sincere. But can we suppose that he in 
whom no change of conduct is perceived, has truly re- 
nounced his sins 1 His promises were upon his lips, but 
w^ere they from his heart ? Without a resolution of 
amendment, it is impossible to have true repentance. 

The second mark is, to avoid the occasions of sin. 
There are two sorts of occasions , the first lead of 
themselves to sin, such as bad books, plays, bad com- 
pany, &c. : and the second are occasions of sin, on 
account of the weakness and dispositions of those who 
engage in them ; such are certain professions, legitimate 
in themselves, but which become an occasion of offend- 
ing God, to those who have not sufiicient light or 
strength to discharge the duties of those professions. 
A person is bound to avoid all immediate occasions of 
sin, and if he remains "v\illingly in them, it is a proof 
that he has not a firm purpose of amendment. '' He 
that loveth danger shall perish in it.'' It sometimes 
costs much to nature to separate ourselves from these 
* Isaias, Iv, 7. t Ecclus., iii, 27. 



FIRM PURPOSE OF AMEKDMEKT. 283 

occasions ; but we must resolve to make the sacrifice, if 
we desire not to be lost for eternity. In this sense we 
should understand these words of our Lord : ^^ If thy 
right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out — . and if thy 
right hand scandalize thee, cut it off and cast it from 
thee ', for it is expedient for thee that one of thy mem- 
bers should perish, rather than that thy whole body go 
into hell : " * that is, though what is an occasion of sin 
be to you as dear and precious as an eye or the right 
arm, you must separate yourself from it, if you wish to 
be saved. 

The third mark of a firm purpose of amendment is, to 
labor to destroy our bad habits, and our facility in com- 
mitting certain sins, into which we frequently fall. For 
this purpose, we should carefully watch over ourselves, 
confess frequently, perform actions contrary to our bad 
habits ; acts of meekness in opposition to anger ; of 
obedience in opposition to indocility ; of humility in op- 
position to pride, &;c. We should also impose on our- 
selves some penitential work, a short prayer, for instance, 
every time we yield to these evil habits. If a person 
makes no effort to overcome himself; if he does not 
avoid the dangerous occasions of falling ; if his falls are 
as frequent as before ; if he does not lament them before 
God, and purify himself by frequent confession, it is a 
sign that his purpose was not sincere. 



In the fourth century. Sapor, king of Persia, violently 
persecuted the Christians, and ordered that death should 
be inflicted on every priest who refused to renounce 
Jesus Christ. St. Simeon, archbishop of Selucia, a 
most zealous prelate, and a powerful defender of the 
Christian faith, was brought before him. Sapor ex- 
horted him to adore the sun, making^ him the most 
magnificent promises if he would obey ; but threatening, 
in case of disobedience, to put him to death, and to 
banish all the Christians in his empire. Simeon 
replied : ^^ I Avill not adore the sun ; to do so would be 
a betrayal of my religion." The king ordered him to 
* Matt., V, 29, 30. 



284 DUTIES OF A christia:n'. 

prison, hoping tliat the cruel treatment he should receive, 
would induce him to change his determination. As he 
was led thither, an old eunuch, named Usthazanes, the 
superintendent of the imperial palace, and who had 
been once a Christian, was deeply affected on seeing 
the holy archbishop, and bowed down before him in 
token of respect. The archbishop, to show the little 
value which he set on any testimony of respect coming 
from one who had renounced his religion, turned aside 
his head, reproaching him, by this movement, with his 
cowardice and impiety in adoring the sun and denying 
his faith. The eunch, unable to bear this well-merited 
treatment, burst into tears, and departing, dressed him- 
self in mom-ning, to give public proof of his repentance. 
Thus clothed, he repaired to the palace, and, bathed in 
tears, exclaimed : " Miserable wretch that I am ! what 
am I to expect from Jesus Christ, whom I have so 
shamefully renounced, if I am so sensible of the con- 
tempt shown me, on account of my apostasy, by Sim- 
eon, who is but his minister 1 " The king, hearing that 
his favorite eunuch was much afflicted, had him con- 
ducted into his presence, and asked what disgrace had 
befallen him. ^' Oh ! " replied the eunuch, ^^ would that 
every disgrace had fallen upon me rather than that 
which has caused my sorrow. I weep that I am not 
dead; that I can yet see that sun, which I had the 
misfortune to adore, rather than excite your displeasure. 
I deserve a double death; one for having betrayed 
Jesus Christ, my adorable Redeemer, and the other for 
having deceived you.'^ Having said this, he pro- 
tested, in the most earnest terms, that he would never 
again prove a traitor to Him whom he acknowledged 
and adored as his God. At these words. Sapor became 
enraged, and swore he would put to death every 
Christian in his realm ; nevertheless, he endeavored, 
through compassion for his age, as he said, to prevail 
on the eunuch to change his determination. ^^ No,^^ said 
this true penitent, ^^ I will never be so senselessly im- 
pious as to render to the creature the worship which is 
due only to the Creator." The king, seeing his con- 



OF COKFESSIOI?'. 285 

stancy, ordered him to be beheaded. He heard the 
sentence with joy, and only begged that Sapor, in return 
for the fidelity with which he had served him for so 
many years, might order a herald to proclaim that he 
had not been condemned on account of any crime against 
tlie state, but because he was a Christian, and refused 
to betray his God. Sapor, hoping that his inflexible 
rigor to an old man, who had so long and faithfully 
served him, would intimidate Christians, granted the 
request, and the sentence was executed according to the 
king's direction. In the person of this martyr for the 
faith of Christ, we see an example of true contrition, 
accompanied with a firm purpose of amendment. 



Exercises. — 1. How many are the marks of a firm purpose of 
amendment; and what is the first? — 2. What is the second mark 
of a firm purpose? — 3. What is the third? 



SECTION IV. 

Of Confession. 

Confession, the second part of the sacrament of 
penance, is an accusation of all one's sins, made to an 
approved priest, for the purpose of obtaining pardon. 
Every priest receives, at his ordination, the power of 
forgiving sin j but he can exercise that power only in 
virtue of a particular mission from his bishop, who pre- 
scribes the place and extent of his jurisdiction. Any 
priest who has not received this mission, or who exer- 
cises it without the authority of the bishop, cannot, in 
ordinary circumstances, remit sin. There are certain 
grave offences, the remission of which is reserved to the 
bishop, for the purpose of inspiring those who have 
committed them with a greater horror : these are called 
reserved cases. 

We are bound to accuse ourselves of all the mortal 
sins we have committed, even of those which lie con- 
cealed from the eyes of others, such as evil thoughts 
and desires. This obligation is a natural consequence 
of the power Jesus Christ gave to his apostles of Ibr- 



286 DUTIES or A CHUISTIAI^-. 

gi\dng and retaining sins ; for they cannot jndge the 
consciences of others if thev do not know them, nor can 
they know them except by the confession of the sinner 
himself. 

Confession should be humble, sincere, and entire. 
It should he humble : the penitent should consider him- 
self, while kneeling beside the confessor, as a criminal 
prostrate before the Divine Majesty, humbly acknow- 
ledging his crimes j and while avowing that he is un- 
worthy of forgiveness, he should hope to obtain it 
through the merits of Jesus Christ. It must be sin- 
cere J that is, he must accuse himself of his sins exactly 
as he knows them, and must not extenuate their enor- 
mity either by studied expressions, or by negligence in 
his examination of conscience ; neither is it allowable 
to aggravate them. It must be entire j that is, he must 
confess the kind, the number, and the considerable 
circumstances 5 the hind; for it is not sufficient to say 
in a general manner, I have sinned very much ; but the 
penitent must declare in particular, what kind of sin he 
has committed, whether it was a theft, a slander, a lie, 
&c. Without this, the confessor cannot know the state 
of the penitent's soul, nor prescribe suitable remedies 
and penances. He must confess the number of his sins, 
telling as nearly as he possibly can, how many times 
he has committed each sin. If he cannot exact of his 
memory a faithful account of the number of his sins, he 
is to declare it in such manner as he best can ; for 
example, if it be a sin in which he has lived for any 
considerable time, let him tell about how often he has, 
on an average, offended duiing each day, each week, or 
each month, as the case may be. If, however, a person 
had committed a sin which has not had this continu- 
ance, but into which he has several times fallen, and 
cannot remember how pften he has thus offended, he 
should declare, at least, whether he has committed it as 
often as occasion offered, or whether he has sometimes 
resisted it. He must also declare those aggravating 
circumstances which change the species of the sin ; as, 
the chcumstance of a vessel's being sacred, makes the 



OP CONEESSIO]S'. 287 

stealing of it not only a theft but a sacrilege; the 
circumstance of neighbors, being parents, makes insult 
or hatred of them, not only a sin against fraternal 
ciiarity, but also against filial love and reverence. 
Those circumstances must also be declared which, 
though they do not change the species, are considered 
necessary to be known by the confessor ; as, for ex- 
ample, for estimating the amount of restitution, &c. 
But, in order to confess our sins in this manner, we 
must know them j hence, the necessity of the examina- 
tion of conscience. 



The empress Jane, a princess ornamented with every 
virtue that could add dignity to her exalted station, se- 
lected as her confessor, St. John Nepomucene, one of 
the canons of the Church of Prague. Her husband, a 
person of very suspicious disposition, was desirous of 
knowing what she had confessed, and one day, after she 
had made her confession, went to her confessor, requir- 
ing him to reveal what the empress had told him. The 
saintly man calmly replied, that he could not reveal 
it ; that the secret of confession was inviolable ; and 
that what was made known in confession, was the same 
as if it had never been revealed. The emperor was 
irritated, but kept a gloomy silence. Some days after, 
he sent for St. John, and endeavored, by flatteries, 
promises, and even threats, to induce him to reveal the 
confession of the empress ; but all in vain. He then 
caused him to be treated with the grossest inhumanity ; 
but being unable to extort a single word from him, and 
seeing that every means which he had hitherto em- 
ployed was incapable of shaking his constancy, he at 
length threatened him with death unless he complied. 
^^ You can put me to death," said the saint, " but you 
shall not oblige me to reveal what was confided to me 
in confession." The emperor, being no longer able to 
restrain his fury, ordered St. John to be bound, hands 
and feet, and cast into the river. Tlie order was exe- 
cuted ; the holy priest was drowned ; but his body, 
having been taken out of the water, was buried, and God 



288 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN'. 

was pleased to give public demonstration of the sanctity 
of his servant, by innumerable miracles which were 
wrought at his tomb. — Feller. 

Exercises. — 1. What is Confession? — 2. Of what sins are we 
to accuse ourselves in Confession ? — 3. What qualities should 
Confession have ? — 4. What is meant bj saying that it should be 
humble, sincere, entire ? — 5. What is a person to do who can 
not remember the exact number of his sins ? — 6. What is meant 
by aggravatiQg circumstances ? 



SECTION V. 

Examination of Conscience, 

Necessity oe the Examlcstatioiit.— This necessity 
is founded upon that of accusing ourselves of all the 
sins which we have committed. How can we accuse 
ourselves of them if we do not know them ? The holy 
Council of Trent requires that we prepare for confession 
by a diligent self-examination. A person who, through 
neglect of making this examination, omits to accuse 
himself of a mortal sin in confession, will not obtain 
the pardon of his sins, even though he receives absolu- 
tion. On the contary, he will profane the sacrament, 
and thus increase his guilt before God. 

CoNDiTiO]s^s OF the ExAMii^ATio:tT. — This ex- 
amination ought to be made with attention. Through 
want of attention many sins are passed over, and not 
discovered, particularly sins of omission and of habit ; 
sins of anger, of thought, of slander, and the like, to 
which a person easily becomes accustomed. It ought 
also to be made with strictness. For want of this, we 
sometimes consider as light and trfvial, sins which are 
very grievous. Of this number are those which are 
opposed to the love of the neighbor, and to the holy 
virtue of purity. Happy the truly pious, who are 
always in the disposition of not sinning deliberately, in 
even the most trivial matter ! They have no neefd of a 
long examination j and if they happen to commit a 
considerable fault, it is continually present to their 



EXAMIl^ATIOl^ OF COIfSCIENCE. 289 

mind ; they view it as a terrible monster, and will be 
sm'e not to forget it when they go to confession. 

Persons who confess but rarely, particularly if they 
be not well instructed, will have much difficulty in 
discovering their sins ; they would derive assistance 
from the table of sinSj commonly given in prayer books.^ 
A knowledge of their sins, of their number, &c., will, 
by means of this examination, be acquired by those 
who, desirous of knowing them, beg of God the light 
to discover them, follow an approved method, and 
listen to the dictates of their conscience. 

When persons examine themselves for a general con- 
fession, or for one of some years, it is sometimes advis- 
able to commit to writing, as a help to the memory, the 
sins which they may have discovered. Such persons 
would do well to think frequently during their examina- 
tion, that God is present, and to say to Him : " Lord, 
make known to me the number and enormity of my sins, 
and grant me, through the merits of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, the grace of confessing them with sincerity, and 
of detesting them from the bottom of my heart.^' After 
the examination, they ought to excite themselves to a 
hearty sorrow, and make frequent acts of contrition. It 
is also recommended to recite slowly, and with much 
attention, the confiteoVj or general confession. 

A person who was desirous of leading a regular life, 
made a retreat of some days, during which he wrote his 
general confession. While he was meditating on hell, 
and was penetrated with the salutary thought of the 
eternal torments of the damned, he cast his eyes on the 
paper which contained his confession. At the sight of 
the sins of his entire life, his fears redoubled, and taking 
the paper, he said, " Oh, what fuel for eternal fire ! " 
Such was the impression which this reflection produced, 
that he resolved to renounce for ever the follies of the 
world, and to devote himself thenceforward to a life of 
retirement and regularity. 

* See St. Patrick's Manual, page 76. 
13 



290 DUTIES or A CHUISTIA^^. 

Exercises. — 1. On what is the necessity of the examination 
of conscience founded? — 2. How should it be made? — 3. From 
what may persons who confess hutrarelj, derive much assistance ? 
— 4. What other means may be employed as a help to the 
memory ? 



SECTION VI. 

Of Sacrilegious Confession. 

To receive absolution without the necessary disposi- 
tionSj would not only render it null and void^ but would 
be a new sin, — a sacrilege being a profanation of the 
sacrament. Instead, then, of appeasing the anger of 
Grod, wCj by a bad confession, outrage Him, trample 
upon the adorable blood of his Son, and profane it in a 
manner more criminal than when the Jews shed it on 
the cross; thus changing into a poison the remedy 
which had been prepared to heal us. Many young 
persons,, it is to be feared, render themselves guilty of 
this crime. What are the causes of so deplorable a 
misfortune 1 In some, it is the shame of declaring cer- 
tain sins. ' The devil, that spirit of malice and deceit^ 
diminishes in their sight the enormity of the sin, when 
they are committing it ; but, when there is question of 
confessing it, he shows it to them in all its turpitude. 
Nothing can be more foolish than this false shame. 
The confessor is obliged by all laws, natural, human, 
and divine, to observe . the most inviolable secrecy 
regarding w^hat is revealed to him in confession. Out 
of that sacred tribunal, he can make no use whatever of 
anything that is told him. We should not be appre- 
hensive of reproaches, bitterness, or insults ; the advice 
w^hich the confessor gives is dictated by the purest 
charity. He to whom you declare your sins is not an an- 
gel ; he is a man like yourself, subject to weaknesses, and, 
therefore, inclined to compassionate yours. He is a 
faithful friend, who desii'es your pardon and your return 
to virtue ; a tender father, who will be touched with the 
marks of confidence which you give him, and who thinks 



SACRILEGIOUS CONPESSIOlSr. 291 

of nothing but of rendering you assistance. Does 
shame restrain us^ when tbere is question of making 
known to a physician some disease^ particularly when 
its concealment may cause death ? The love of life 
overcomes every repugnance. How, then, can a person 
yield to shame, when the soul has received a mortal 
-wound ? How is it, that he has not strength to reveal 
it to him who alone can apply a salutary remedy ? 
What does he gain by concealing at present from his 
confessor, the knowledge of his sins ? Can he conceal 
them from God f Must he not confess them at some 
time or other ? If he does not, he shall perish eternally j 
and, on the last day, they shall be made known to all 
mankind. 

There are others whom the fear of not being per- 
mitted to make their first communion, or to receive the 
Blessed Eucharist at Easter time, prevents from dis- 
covering the state of their soul to their confessor ; but 
what greater folly can there be, than to profane two 
sacraments, rather than that their first communion or 
Easter duty should be postponed ? Many who receive 
the sacramental absolution with undue dispositions, 
consider this apparent remission of their sins as a real 
one ; think no more of repenting of their sins 5 profane all 
the sacraments which they afterwards receive ; and die, 
almost always, in the state of final impenitence. 
Others are reproached by their conscience, during their 
whole life, with this enormous crime, and are exposed 
to the most frightful despair; or, being hardened in 
their iniquity, they persevere in it until death. The 
minister of God says to them, ^^ Go in peace ; " but God 
shall say to these counterfeit penitents, " Go with my 
malediction.^' The only remedy for so great an evil is 
a general confession, made with all the necessary 
dispositions. He, on the contrary, who has opened his 
heart to his confessor, and who has employed a suit- 
able time in his examination, is well indemnified after- 
wards, for the trouble and pains which he has under- 
gone. The pain is soon over, and there remains noth- 
ing but the testimony of a good conscience ; he believes 



292 DUTIES OF A CHIlISTlA:iSr. 

that his communion is well made j peace reigns in his 
heart ; dm'ing the whole course of his after-life, he 
blesses the happy moment when he gained a victory 
over himself, which secured him a sweet tranquillity 
here, and will obtain for him an eternal recompense 
hereafter. 



" Take care/' said a servant of God, speaking to him- 
self, ^^ not to render yourself guilty of the blood of 
Jesus Christ 5 this sacred blood is priceless ,* it is the 
blood of the Just by excellence 5 the blood of a God, by 
the intimate union it has with his divinity. This 
adorable blood has been shed for my redemption. It 
is given for my benefit. I can use it at the sacred 
tribunal, to purify me from my sins, and at the table of 
the Lord, for the nourishment of my soul ; but what a 
monster of ingratitude should I be, if I treated it like 
him who tramples it under foot, by making a confession 
without sincerity or true contrition, and communicating 
afterwards in the state of mortal sin ! Oh ! how well 
does he merit hell, who is guilty of this horrible crime ! 
my Savior ! " he added, ^^ do not permit that I render 
myself guilty of your adorable blood. Ah ! rather let 
me die a thousand times, than be guilty of so monstrous 
an ingratitude ! '^ 

St. Augustine had the courage to write his confes- 
sions, and publish his errors and disorders, that he 
might make known, everywhere, the mercy of God in 
pardoning his sins. The humility which he evinced, 
in thus making known his sins, drew down upon him 
such abundant graces, that he afterwards became a 
great saint. 



Exercises. — 1. What is the result of receiving absolution 
without the necessary dispositions? — 2. What are the principal 
causes of so deplorable a misfortune, and what must be done to 
avoid it ? — 3. What are the dreadful consequences of a sacrilegious 
confession ? — 5. What, on the contrary, are the happy results of 
a good confession ? 



THE MAKN^ER OF COl^rESSING. 293 

SECTION VII. 
Of the Manner of Confessing, 

The penitent places himself on his knees, to express 
by this humble posture, the confusion and sorrow with 
which he is penetrated for having offended God, whose 
minister he acknowledges his confessor to be. He 
should also humble himself interiorly, and repent sin- 
cerely of having had the misfortune to commit sin. 
He addresses the priest by the name of father ^ saying, 
'' Bless me, father, for I have sinned.'^ Your confessor 
is the father of your soul 5 his function in the holy 
tribunal is, to introduce Jesus Christ into your heart, to 
impart to you the life of grace if you have lost it, or to 
increase it if you are living in the sight of God, by the 
possession of this treasure. Consider him as a tender 
father, filled with zeal for your salvation, and therefore 
deserving of your respect, confidence, and obedience. 
In begging the priest's blessing, it is not because the 
penitent has sinned, that he merits that blessing 5 by 
sinning, he rendered himself unworthy of receiving a 
blessing from God, by the hand of his minister. These 
words signify : Obtain for me, father, the grace of a true 
conversion, that, being rightly disposed, I may be 
pardoned my sins, of which I repent with my whole 
heart. 

The confiteor is an excellent form of contrition, and 
the penitent should, in reciting it, be deeply penetrated 
with the sentiments it conveys. He confesses in general 
to God, to the Blessed Virgin, to St. Michael, St. John 
Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and to all 
the saints, that he has sinned exceedingly, and that he 
can attribute only to himself the sins which lie has 
committed. He commends himself to the mercy of God, 
and invokes the saints, that he may obtain mercy 
through their intercession. After this general declara- 
tion, he enters into a detailed accusation to the minister 
of God, having first told how long it is since his last 
confession ; whether he then received absolution : and 



294 DUTIES or A CHRISTIAN. 

whether he performed, exactly and religiously, the 
penance which had been imposed upon him. 

In declaring his sins, he should remember that he 
accuses himself before his judge, and, consequently, 
should speak in a manner expressive of the humiliation 
which he feels for having offended God, and of the 
sorrow with which he is justly penetrated at the remem- 
brance of his transgressions. He then declares his 
sorrow, and begs penance and absolution of God's 
minister. In begging penance, he requests his confessor 
to ordain what he shall say or do in punishment for the 
sins he has committed, and as a means of preventing 
him from committing them for the future. He knows, 
or he ought to know, that sin must be punished, either 
in this life, by the voluntary acts of the penitent, or in 
the other, by the chastising hand of God's avenging 
justice. 

In begging the absolution, he acknowledges the 
power of remitting sin, which our Lord left to the 
pastors of his Church ; he prays that this power may be 
exercised in his favor, and then finishes the confiteor. 
The confessor is appointed by Jesus Christ, the judge 
between him and the sinner ; he is therefore obliged to 
follow the rules of Christian prudence, and cannot, with- 
out betraying his ministry, pronounce a favorable 
sentence, when he has reason to believe that God will 
not ratify it. Such criminal indulgence would not 
discharge the penitent from the guilt of his sins, but 
would render the confessor guilty of sacrilege ; and, in- 
stead of being a benefit to the sinner, who is not rightly 
disposed, may be the seal of his reprobation — the cause 
of his eternal ruin. 



A young person who was reputed pious, but who had 
not sufficient difiidence in himself, neglected, in time of 
temptation, to have recourse to God by humble prayer. 
He fell, in consequence, into a sin, which he felt a 
strong disinclination to confess. But regretting sincerely 
the sin which he had committed, he said to himself : 
'' Whatever it may cost me, I will go at once to con- 



OF SATISEACTIOl^. 295 

fession, and will lay open my heart to the minister of 
Jesus Christ.'^ He went accordingly ; but on his way 
he felt the disinclination to confess his sin return, and 
imagined he heard the devil sa}^ to him, '•' Whither are 
you going % ^^ But he, immediately, and with great 
courage and earnestness, replied : ^^ I am going to con- 
found you, and to cover myself with confusion." He 
who has the courage thus to accuse himself of his sins, 
feels, as it were, relieved from an intolerable burden, 
and is amply indemnified for the momentary pain and 
confusion attending his self-accusation, by the joy and 
interior peace which follow it. — Lasausse. 



Exercise. — 1. What posture should the penitent take while 
confessing, and by what name should he address the priest ? — 2. 
What is the meaning of the words ^' Bless me, father, (be. f " 
— 3. With what sentiments should the penitent recite the confiteor 
and declare his sins? — 4. What does he ask of the priest in 
finishing the confiteor ? 



SECTION VIII. 

Of Satisfaction. 

Satisfaction, which is the third and last part of the 
sacrament of penance, is a reparation ofiered to God, 
for the sins which we have committed. Without the 
acceptance of the penance imposed, and a sincere desire 
to perform it, the sins of the penitent are not remitted. 
It is Grod who forgives sin ; He alone, then, is Master 
of the conditions to which He annexes pardon. In the 
sacrament of baptism, He pardons the sinner without 
any satisfaction whatever, and, therefore, the pastors 
of the Church do not impose penance on those whom 
they baptize, how great soever tlieir sins may have beeu. 
It is not so in the sacrament of penance. God, by the 
ministry of his priests, remits the eternal punishment 
due to sin, if the penitent has the necessary dispositions ; 
but there ordinarily remains a temporal punishment, to 
which the penitent is bound to submit. He ought, 
therefore, to perform with fidelity the penance imposed 
in confession, and apply himself to the practice of the 



296 THE DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

other pious and edifying works, in order to satisfy, as 
far as in his power, the justice of God. 

Those who die before they satisfy, to the full extent, 
this debt of temporal punishment, must finish the ex- 
piation of their sins in purgatory. It is agreeable to 
the justice of God, that those who abuse the grace 
received in baptism, and violate its promises, should be 
received with more difficulty to reconciliation. He who 
has dishonored the glorious qualities of child of God, of 
member of Jesus Christ, and temple of the Holy Ghost j 
who has treated with indiiference the adorable blood 
with which he was sanctified, and rendered valueless 
the grace which he received, should not find so easy a 
pardon as he who has not been baptized, and whose sins, 
committed, in great part, through ignorance, do not bear 
the same character of ingratitude. Besides, through 
the mercy of God, the penitent sinner derives great 
advantage from the chastisement which he receives j as 
he finds in it a cm'b on his passions, and an excellent 
remedy against the evil habits which he has contracted. 
The penance which the confessor imposes, not only 
serves as an expiation of past ofifences, but also tends 
to the destruction of the passions from which those 
offences proceeded. Thus, humiliations serve to over- 
come the passion of pride j alms, that of avarice ; 
fasting, that of intemperance, &c. ; and these penances 
should, as much as possible, bear some proportion to 
the sins committed, and, therefore, be greater or less, 
according to their number and enormity. 

The most ordinary penitential works are prayer, 
fasting, and almsdeeds. By prayer is to be understood 
all acts of religion, pious reading, and assiduity at the 
divine offices , by fasting, all that mortifies the senses^ 
and by alms, all the assistance given to our neighbor, 
in his spiritual and corporal necessities. God also 
accepts, in satisfaction for our sins, all the afiiictions 
which befall us 5 such as sickness, injuries, and per- 
secutions ; but to render these valuable in his sight, 
we must bear them in a spirit of penance, antf unite 
them with the sufferings and satisfactions oi fesus 



OF INDULGEiq^CES. 297 

Clirist, through whose merits alone our satisfactory- 
works are acceptable to God. Our works are presented 
to the Eternal Father by our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
imparts to them all their merit and value. 

We are also obliged to make satisfaction to our 
neiglibor, if we have injured him either in his person, 
by ill treatment ; in his honor, by lies and calumny 5 
or in his goods, by theft or injustice. God will not 
pardon the sinner, unless he repairs, as far as in his 
power, the injury done to his neighbor, in his person, 
property, or character. 



St. Paul the Hermit, St. Anthony, St. Mary of 
Egypt, and several others, who followed their example, 
were models of penance. They renounced all they 
possessed, hid themselves in frightful deserts, clothed 
themselves in sackcloth, and lived, during the greater 
portion of their life, on wild pulse and herbs. They 
adopted this course of life, from a deep sense of what 
was due to the justice of God, and from the conviction, 
that sin must be atoned for, either in this world or in the 
next. — Lassausse. 



Exercises. — 1. What is the third part of the sacrament of 
Penance, and in what does it consist ? — 2. Show us the necessity of 
satisfaction ?~"-3. What difference, as regards satisfaction, is there 
between Baptism and Penance ? — 4. Where are persons to 
expiate tlieir sins, who die before having undergone the temporal 
punishment due to themt — 5. What advantage does the penitent 
derive from the satisfaction which he is obliged to make? — 6. By 
what works may we repair the injury done to God and our 
neighbor ? 



SECTION IX. 

Of Indulgences. 

An indulgence is a remission of the whole or part of 
the temporal punishment which ordinarily remains due 
to sin, after the guilt of it has been remitted. It dis- 
charges, either entirely or in part, from the rigorous pen- 
ances required by the ancient canons, and from the tern- 



298 DUTIES OF A christians". 

poral cliastisement due to sin, in satisfaction to tlie divine 
justice, and which must be suffered either here or here- 
after J in this life, by works of penance ; or in the next, 
by the sufferings of purgatory. An indulgence, there- 
fore, does not remit sin, nor the guilt of sin, nor the 
eternal punishment due to it, but only the temporal 
punishment which remains to be endured after these 
have been remitted. It either moderates the rigor of that 
temporary punishment, or shortens its duration. 

In the early ages of the Church, public penances of 
many years' duration were imposed on penitent sinners. 
They were obliged to pray much, to pass their days in 
mourning, and their nights in watching and tears, to lie 
upon the ground, to fast, to give alms, and to exercise 
themselves in other w^orks of charity and religion. 
Although this ancient discipline is not at present en- 
forced, yet we should constantly remember, that the 
justice of Grod is the same now as it was in former ages, 
and that sin deserves punishment now as well as it did 
then. To supply the insufficiency of our satisfactions, 
the Church, always animated and directed by the spirit 
of God, grants indulgences to her children. She 
received this power from her divine Founder, when He 
said to his apostles: " Whatsoever you shall bind upon 
earth, shall be bound also in heaven ; and whatsoever 
you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in 
heaven." * The Church, therefore, has power to inflict 
punishment, for the expiation of sin, and also to remit 
that punishment, when it is expedient for the glory of 
God, or the spiritual good of her children, by granting 
an indulgence. In the early ages she often, at the re- 
commendation of the confessors and martyrs, treated 
with indulgence those for whom they had interested 
themselves. She also, in time of persecution, abridged 
the term of penance for those who had commenced it 
with fervor, in order to strengthen them for the combat, 
and put them in a condition to resist the ^dolence with 
w^hicb they were threatened. The infinite and super- 
abundant merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
* Matt.; xviii, 18. 



OF IJ^DULGElSrCES. 299 

X'irtues and good works of his holy Mother, and of all 
the samts, are offered to God by the Church, in satisfac- 
tion for our sins. 

Indulgences have been called by the holy Fathers, 
relaxations, remissions, absolutions, reconciliations. 
They are of three kinds : namely, plenary indulgences ^ 
partial ind^dgenceSy and the indulgence of the jubilee. A 
plenary indulgence is the remission of all the temporal 
punishment due to our sins. A partial indulgence is 
the remission of only a part of that punishment, accord- 
ing to the intention of the person who grants it, and 
the disposition of the penitent who receives it. A 
jubilee is an extraordinary plenary indulgence, granted 
hj the Pope to all the faithful in general. It was 
formerly granted only once ever}^ hundred years ,• but 
it is now fixed to once in every twenty-five, besides 
that which usually follows the accession to the papal 
chair of each new pontiff. 

The Pope, being the head of the Church, can grant 
indulgences to all the faithful; and as his power, in 
this respect, is unlimited, he can grant them plenary 
or partial, as he shall judge either proper or useful for 
the faithful. Bishops also, in their respective dioceses, 
can, under certain circumstances, grant indulgences of 
a certain Ihnited time. All these indulgences are 
attached to the recital of certain pra3^ers, or to the 
performance of certain good works, and they are gained 
by those only who are in the state of grace, and who 
comply exactly with the specified conditions. 

It must not be supposed that indulgences exempt us 
from penitential works ; or that the intention of gaining 
them dispenses us from the obligation of doing penance. 
Indulgences, on the contrary, always suppose that we 
do a part of our penance, and are in a true disposition 
of performing it, should time and strength permit ; for 
the Church grants indulgences to assist our weakness, 
and to make up for the deficiencies of our penance, and 
not to dis[»ense us altogether from its performance. It 
is for this reason, no doubt, the Council of Trent 
declares, that according to the ancient and approved 



300 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAK. 

custom of the Ohurclij indulgences should be granted 
with reserve and moderation -, and that the Church, in 
granting them, obliges those who wish to gain them, 
to fast, pray, give alms, or perform other good works. 

A person who had, in his youth, committed many 
sins, but who was afterwards converted, aiid became 
remarkable for his piety, recited, every day, with great 
exactness, a number of prayers to which indulgences are 
attached. He also practised, every day, some voluntary 
mortifications, and gave alms to the poor proportionate 
to his station and circumstances, repeating frequently 
these beautiful words : '^ Lord ! grant me mercy now, 
and at every moment of my life, but particularly at 
the hour of my death. Grant it, I conjure thee, through 
the merits of my Lord Jesus Christ, and the intercession 
of the Blessed Virgin, and of the angels and saints. 
I offer thee, in the spirit of penance, all my actions and 
sufierings ; and desire nothing but the accomplishment 
of thy ever adorable will.^' When it was represented 
to him, that the mortified life which he led, might 
possibly injure his health, and shorten his existence, 
his reply was : ^^ It is better to suffer a little in this 
world, than to suffer much in the world to come.'^ — 
Catechisme de l'Empihe, 



Exercises. — 1. What is an indulgence ? — 2. Does an indul- 
gence remit sin, the guilt of sin^ or the eternal punishment ? — 3. 
What is the spirit of the Chui'ch in granting indulgences ? — 4. 
Hovv^ many kinds of indulgences are there? — 5. Who have power 
to grant indulgences, and what must be done to obtain them ? — 
6. Why do not indulgences exempt from doing penance ? 



CHAPTER VI. 

Of Extreme Unction. 

God, who is infinitely good, has not onh^ prepared 
for us salutary helps during life, and whilst in the state 
of health, but has also established a sacrament to com- 
fort us in sickness, and, particularly, at the approach of 



EXTREME UNCTION. 301 

death, for it is then that temptations are most violent 
and dangerous. This sacrament is called Extreme 
unction, because it is the last anointing which a 
Christian receives. The first anointing takes place in 
baptism ; the second, in confirmation ] and the last, in 
dangerous sickness. Jesus Christ has instituted ex- 
treme unction for the spiritual and corporal strength 
and comfort of the sick. The apostle St. James 
speaks of it in the following terms : '^ Is any man sick 
among you? Let him bring in the priests of the 
Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him 
with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of 
faith shall save the sick man 5 and the Lord shall raise 
him up 5 and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven 
him." * According to these words, two things are 
essential to this sacrament j the anointing, and the 
prayer which accompanies it. The anointing is done 
with holy oil, which is blessed by the bishop on Holy 
Thursday. It is applied to each of the senses, to 
purify it from the sins of which it may have been the 
organ and instrument, the priest pronouncing at the 
same time the following prayer : ^' May the Lord by 
this holy unction, and by his own infinite mercy, 
pardon thee all the sins which thou hast committed by 
the eyes, the smell," &c. This prayer is most powerful 
and efficacious, since our Lord has promised, by the 
mouth of his apostles, that he will always hear it. 

This sacrament has three principal effects. The first 
is, to fortify the sick person against the temptations of 
the devil, and the terrors of death. It confirms his 
faith and confidence in God, and, by this means it 
strengthens him against the attacks of the devil ; it 
excites in his heart the desire and hope of possessing 
God, and this fortifies him against the fear of death. 
The more ardent this desire is, and the firmer this hope, 
the less the fear which the soul experiences when the 
hour of death approaches. 

The second effect of extreme unction is, to efface 
the remains of sin, and even sin itself, if any still remains 
^ James, v, 14, 15. 



302 DUTIES OF A CHETSTIAN. 

to be pardoned. By the remains of sin^ we are to under- 
stand that weakness and languor which remain in the 
soul even after the guilt of sin is pardoned, and which 
cause it to have still an inclination for the things of 
earth, and little relish for those of heaven. This 
weakness and languor are removed by means of this 
sacrament, by detaching the soul from earthly things, 
and replenishing it with an ardent desire for the enjoy- 
ment of heaven. It also remits venial sins, and even 
mortal ones which may have been forgotten, or which 
the sick person may not be able to confess ; pro^dded, 
however, that he have a sincere sorrow for them. But 
it is necessary, whenever it is possible to do so, to have 
recourse to the sacrament of penance, extreme unction 
being a sacrament of the li^dng, and therefore to be 
received in the state of sanctifying grace. 

The third effect of this sacrament is, to restore the 
sick person to health, if it be conducive to his everlasting 
salvation. The recei\ung of it should, therefore, not 
be postponed to the last moments of life : for, surely, 
it is not the time to expect restoration to health when a 
person is on the point of breathing his last. This would 
be like tempting God, since recovery could not then 
take place without an evident miracle. It is sufficient 
to be dangerously ill in order to receive extreme 
unction ; and while the mind remains unimpaired, the 
sick person is better disposed to receive it, and to profit 
of its advantages. In deferring it to the last moment, 
one runs the risk of not receiving it at all; for 
many who thus celay, are oveitaken by death before 
it can be administered. Athough this sacrament is not 
absolutely indispensable, a person is, notwithstanding, 
obliged to have recom'se to it, when he can do so. It 
is the ordinary means of obtaining* a happy death : 
those who neglect to receive it, disobey the precept of 
Jesus Christ ; they voluntarily deprive themselves of 
the graces annexed to it, and, by so doing, put 
themselves in danger of a bad death ; which is the 
greatest of all possible misfortunes. 



HOLY OEDERS. 303 

A man who lay dangerously sick, had an only 
daughter, a child not more than ten years old, who had 
learned her catechism very well, and was instructed in 
the truths and practices of our holy religion. She stood 
by the bedside of her dying father, and seeing no pre- 
paration for his receiving the sacrament, she said : 
^^ Father, you are very sick j the doctor has said yoa 
shall not live longer than to-morrow j and mamma has 
since been weeping bitterlj^ in the next room. Now, I 
have heard at instructions that it would be very sinful 
to leave the sick to die without confession, and yet no 
one speaks" to you of it. Do, father, do send for the 
priest.'^ Affected by the artless simplicity and the 
earnestness with which these words were uttered, the 
dying man said : '' My dear child, I thank you ) go for 
him at once, and may God bless you ; for to you, under 
God, I am indebted for my salvation." The priest came, 
and administered the last sacrament to the sick man, 
who died on the following day. Frequently did he 
repeat before his death : " Oh, were it not for my child, 
my dear little child, what would have become of me ? " 
How consoling to her during life to reflect, that she 
had been the instrument of so much happiness to her 
dying parent ! — Lasausse. 

Exercises. — 1. What is Extreme Unction ? — 2. What two 
things are essential to this sacrament, and in what do they 
consist? — 3. What are the principal effects of Extreme Unction ? 
— 4. When should this sacrament be received, and of what do 
persons deprive themselves who neglect its reception? 



CHAPTEE VII. 

Of Holy Orders. 

The five sacraments treated of are common to all the 
faithful, and all ought to receive them in tlie times and 
circumstances in which these helps are necessary for 
them. The two others are for two particuhir states of 
life, which, on account of their im})ortance, and the 
duties they impose, have need of many powerful graces. 



304 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAX. 

Tlie sacrament of Orders gives pastors to the Cliurcli, 
to rale and govern it By the imposition of hands, and 
the prayers which accompany it, they are separated 
from the rest of the faithful, and receive the power of 
preaching the Gospel, administering the sacraments, 
offering the holy saciifice of the Mass, and in a word, of 
exercising the functions of the sacred ministry. Jesus 
Christ instituted this sacrament when he selected his 
apostles, and said to them : ^^As the Father hath sent 
me, I also send you ;*...."' Going, therefore, teach ye 

all nations ; "t '' Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose 

sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them ,• and 
whose sins you shall retain, they are retained : " { and 
also when, after having instituted the sacrifice of his 
body and blood, he added, ^' Do this for a commem- 
oration of me.'- § 

Holy Orders is a sacrament, which gives the power 
to perform ecclesiastical functions, and grace to exercise 
them with sanctity. The apostles received, together 
with this power, full authoiity to communicate it to 
others. TTe learn from the holy Scriptures, that they 
ordained bishops, priests and deacons, by the imposition 
of hands \ and from Ecclesiastical History we learn, that 
the first bishops ordained by the apostles, ordained 
others to succeed themselves, and this succession, which 
has never been interrupted, will continue in the Church 
to the end of the world. 

A person is raised to the digniity of the priesthood by 
different degrees, or orders. Four of these are called 
minor orders; rnxmelx , porter ^ lector, exorcist j s.iid cwoJijte ; 
and three are called major or JioJi/ orders ; namely, siih- 
deacoyij deacon, and j^r lest. A state so holy requires corre- 
sponding dispositions in those who desire to embrace it. 
The first of these dispositions is, that the person be truly 
called, and do not intrude himseK into so sacred an office : 
^•Xeither doth any man take the honor to himself,'^ says 
the apostle, *' but he that is called by God, as Aaron 
was. *' II TTe should embrace no state whatever without 

* John. XX, 21. t Matt., xxTiii, 19. t JoIld. xx, 22, 23. 
§ Lake, xxii, 19. |l Heb., v, 4. 



OF HOLY ORDERS. 305 

having consulted God^ and endeavored to know his holy 
will ', but this precaution is much more necessary when 
there is question of a state, the functions of which are 
so holy and sublime. " You have not chosen me/^ said 
Jesus Christ to his apostles, ^^ but I have chosen you, 
and have appointed you, that you should go, and should 
bring forth fruit. ^' ^ The second disposition is, to be 
animated with zeal for the glory of God, and. the 
salvation of the neighbor. Woe to those who enter this 
holy state through human views ; who consult only their 
worldly interests or their ambition 5 who propose to 
themselves but the acquiring of wealth, or to live more 
conveniently or with more respectability. The third 
disposition is, to be irreproachable in morals. It is 
much to be desired, that those who aspire to the 
ministry, should have preserved the grace of baptism, 
or have, at least, for a long time previously, recovered it 
by penance, and led an edifying life. The fourth dis- 
position is, to be in the state of grace, for it would be 
an awful sacrilege, indeed, to receive so holy a sacrament 
in the state of mortal sin. 



The life and history of a priest are briefly as follows. 
He is, by his office, the friend and protector of the 
unfortunate, the consoler of the afflicted, the defender 
of the defenceless, the support of the widow, the father 
of the orphan, the repairer of all the disorders and evils 
engendered by the passions and false doctrines of sinful 
men. His entire life is a long and heroic devotedness 
to the happiness of his fellow-creatures. For their 
service, he consents to exchange all the domestic com- 
forts of life, all the enjoyments and goods which men 
seek so passionately, for the obscure labors and fatiguing 
duties of a ministry, which often produce no other fruit 
than the ingratitude and insult of the libertine and the 
infidel ! 

While the world is still lulled in sleep, the man of 
God often anticipates the dawn, to commence his day of 
beneficent labor. He relieves the poor, visits the sick, 
* John, XV. 16. 



306 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

dries up the tears of the unfortunate, and excites those 
of the penitent ; instructs the ignorant, strengthens the 
weak, and confirms in virtue souls agitated by the 
storms of passion or temptation. After a day filled up 
with such exercises, the night returns, but not always 
to bring repose to him. At the hour which leads the 
worldly votary to the theatre or to parties, a messenger 
is despatched for the minister of religion. A Christian, 
touched in his last moments with repentance, is about to 
expke, and, perhaps, of a contagious disorder,- no 
matter, — the good shepherd will not suffer one of his 
flock to expire without alleviating his anguish, holding 
up before him the consolations of faith and hope, and 
praying by his side to the God who died for him, and 
who, at this instant, gives him, in the sacrament of his 
love, the most assm^ed pledge of immortality. A priest 
is the minister of Jesus Christ upon earth 5 his repre- 
sentative, charged with the exercise of functions which 
have not been confided even to angels. Such is the 
priest of God exercising his ministry in the midst of 
the faithful. 



Exercises. — 1. What difference is there^ as regards all the 
faithful, between the first five sacraments and the last two? — 

2. When did our Lord institute the sacrament of Holy Orders ? — 

3. What power does this sacrament confer ? — 4. Through what 
degrees must a person pass, to attain the dignity of priesthood ? 
— 5. What dispositions does a state so holy require of those who 
desire to embrace it ? 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Of Matrimony. 

Marriage was instituted in the beginning of the world, 
when God gav^e man, for his companion, the woman 
whom He had formed from his side, and blessed her 
with frutifulness. In order to render this first institution 
more holy, Jesus Christ has elevated it to the dignity 
of a sacrament, attaching to it a special grace to confirm 
this indissoluble union, and to sanctify those who are 
engaged in it. He has rendered it the image and sign 



OF MATEIMOl^T. 307 

of a great mystery^ the intimate and eternal union which 
he has with his Church. Marriage is^ then, a source of 
spiritual benedictions for those who receive it with proper 
dispositions. 

Marriage is a sacrament which gives grace to sanc- 
tify those who are engaged in this holy state. It is a 
certain truth, that those who, being in the state of grace, 
and having consulted God, marry with Christian in- 
tentions, receive, by virtue of this sacrament, graces 
which sanctify them, and enable them to discharge 
faithfully the obligations of their state. Before a person 
decides on embracing this state, he should be careful to 
pray fervently to God for grace to know whether he has 
been called to it. Without this, he might rashly, and 
contrary to God's will, contract an engagement which 
God would not bless, and which would expose his salva- 
tion to great danger, God never fails to make known 
his will to those who invoke Him with sincerity and 
earnestness. Persons about to engage in the married 
state, should also consult their parents. Parents have 
at heart the interests of their children, and know better 
than they do, the means by which they can be promoted. 
Children should, therefore, follow their advice, rather 
than a blind inclination, in an affair so important, and 
on which their happiness for time and eternity is so 
dependent. 

There are three principal dispositions for receiving 
the sacrament of marriage. The first is, that the con- 
science be purified from every mortal sin because 
marriage is a sacrament of the living, which supposes 
the spiritual life of grace in those who receive it. The 
Council of Trent exhorts those who desire to enter into 
this holy state, to approach the Holy Eucharist, in 
order to draw upon themselves the blessing of heaven. 
The second disposition is, to receive it with the in- 
tention of doing the will of God, and of serving Him 
in this state. We should propose to ourselves to please 
God in all things, even in our least actions,- witli much 
more reason, then, in an engagement which will con- 
tinue until the death of either party. "We are tho 



308 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

children of saints/' said young Tobias to Sara, " and 
we must not be joined together like heathens that know 
not God." * He who believes himself called to the 
married state, should be careful not to enter it but with 
a view to sanctify himself, and to fulfil all its obligations. 
The third disposition is, to receive it with modesty and 
all the other virtues suitable to the sanctity of this sacra- 
ment, avoiding with care everything contrary to the rules 
of strict propriety. To receive the nuptial benediction 
with levity, would be to offend God at the very foot of 
his altar, and profane a sacrament which should be 
approached with much piety and religion. 

Married persons have four obligations to fulfil ; 
namely, to live together in perfect union and harmony 5 
to live with fidelity to each other 5 to render mutual 
assistance in their respective wants 5 and to give their 
children a Christian education, accustoming them in 
their tender years to pray to God, and to perform piously 
the other duties of religion ; teaching them, and re- 
peating frequently to them, the maxims of the Gospel 5 
giving them good example, and watching over their 
conduct, in order to remove from them everything which 
might lead them to sin, and cause them to sacrifice 
their eternal happiness. 

A young physician, who resided in Paris, made propo- 
sals for a young lady of that city, and was promised 
her hand in marriage. A short period before the time 
appointed for the intended ceremony, he called at her 
house, and on seeing her mother, told her that he desired 
an interview with the lady destined to be his future 
wife. On being questioned as to its object, he frankly 
replied, that he had been trained from childhood, as the 
family were aware, in the practice of his religious duties, 
and that he was desirous that he and the young lady 
should each make a general confession and approach 
the holy communion, previous to the intended marriage, 
that they might receive, with the nuptial blessing, the 
graces which are attached to it. The mother, overjoyed 
Tobias, viii, 5. 



OF MATRIMONY. 309 

at this pious determination^ addressed him in the most 
affectionate terms, and congratulated herself and 
daughter on the dispositions which the young gentle- 
man manifested, and on the happiness of which it could 
not fail to be productive. She pressed him to the 
interview with her daughter, and to the communication 
of his wishes. The young gentleman did not confine 
himself to this. He had the holy sacrifice of the Mass 
offered for eight successive days previous to the mar- 
riage; and on the morning of the appointed day, nothing 
could be more affecting than to see this young couple 
approach the holy table ; the one, accompanied by his 
father and mother ; the other, by her mother and grand- 
mother J when all received the hol}^ communion from 
the hands of the priest who was afterwards to bless 
their marriage. What an instructive example for young 
persons ! What a lesson for so many negligent and 
disedifying parents ! If all marriages were celebrated 
like this, they would be followed, without doubt, by 
tranquillity and happiness. 

Exercises. — 1. When and by whom was marriage instituted ? 
—2. To what dignity has Jesus Christ elevated marriage? — 
3. What should persons do before they decide on embracing the 
marriage state ? — 4. How many dispositions are necessary for the 
worthy reception of the sacrament of marriage, and in what do 
they consist? — 5. What are the obligations of married persons? 



PART SECOND. 



OF PRAYEB. 



CHAPTER I. 

OF PRAYER I:N" GEKERAX. 



SECTION I. 
Of fhe Necessity of Frayer. 

Prayer is tlie second means by whicli we can obtain tbe 
grace of God. It is an elevation of the mind and heart 
to God J to render Him om- homage, and to beg of Him 
all necessaries for sonl and body. It is an indispensable 
dutyj and cannot be omitted without sin, for Jesus 
Christ himself expressly commands it : '' Watch ye 
and pray.'' * '^ We ought always to pray, and not to 
faint." t Hence the reproach which he made to his 
disciples ) " Hitherto you have not asked anything in 
my name. Ask, and you shall receive." | He prac- 
tised himself what he commanded ] he passed whole 
nights in this holy exercise, or rather, his whole life w^as 
a continual prayer. Jesus Christ had no need of prayer 
for himself, but he wished to leave us an example, and 
engage us thereby not to neglect so pow^erful a means 
of sanctification. We required this example to stimu- 
late us to the discharge of this essential duty. Salva- 
tion is promised to those only who pray 5 and such as 
persevere in prayer will obtain it. Prayer is, therefore, 
an indispensable duty ] and even if the Scripture con- 
tained no positive law requiring us to pray, the mere 

* Matt., XX vi; 41. t Luke, xviii, 1. X John, xvi^ 24. 



to 



THE NECESSITY OE PllATER. 311 

consciousness of our own miseries would alone be suffi- 
cient to prove its necessity. Do not the ills of soul 
and body, continually springing up, admonish us 
incessantly to have recourse to Him who alone can 
remedy ? Is it not the part of the miserable to weep 
and solicit assistance? Our misery is extreme ; the 
goods which we want are of infinite value. God is 
ready to grant what we require 5 and He not only per- 
mits, but even commands us to ask for them. He is 
not ignorant of our wants ; He knows them better than 
we ourselves j but he requires us to lay them before 
Him, that we may desire more ardently the gifts He 
has prepared for us, and may, by this desire, be more 
capable of receiving them. The desire of eternal goods 
becomes more ardent by prayer : the greater the desire is, 
the more abundant is the succor we receive from God. He 
fills the hungry with good things ; but He sends away 
empty those who imagine themselves rich, and to be in 
need of nothing. * If God bestowed his gifts without 
awaiting our prayers, we would attribute these gifts to 
ourselves; but w^lien, after having felt our weakness 
and misery, we have recourse to Him, we then recognize 
our dependence ; we are obliged to acknowledge that 
we can do nothing without Him, and that all we re- 
ceive are gifts of his pure liberality. This humble 
avowal of our poverty disposes us to receive his bene- 
fits in abundance. We should, then, apply ourselves to 
this holy exercise, and not think that we fulfil this 
essential duty by employing in its performance a few 
moments only, and passing the rest of our time without 
thinking of God. St. Liguori says, that '-'- he who 
prays, shall infallibly be saved, and that he who does 
not pray, will inevitably be lost." We should have 
frequent recourse to prayer, and persevere a long time 
in it. God wishes to be solicited, pressed, importuned ; 
He is not weary of hearing us ; the treasure of his 
graces is infinite ; and we can do nothing more agree- 
able to Him, than to beg, incessantly, that He bestow 
them upon us. Earthly monarchs do not permit all 
* Luke, i, 53. 



312 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAN. 

their subjects indiscriminately to address them ; this is 
a favor which they grant only to their favorites, and at 
certain times. It is not thus with God ; He permits 
us to speak to Him at every hour, to present om* wants, 
and implore his assistance ; He even commands us to do 
so with perfect freedom, and is offended if w^e present 
not ourselves before Him. What an honor for a vile 
creature thus to approach his God, and to communicate 
to Him his thoughts, his desires, his necessities, with a 
holy liberty, and with a sweet and assured confidence ! 
Would it not be a contempt of his goodness not to 
profit of the favor which He grants, in promising to 
hear us, and to interest himseK in everything that can 
promote our real happiness ? 



" Prayer,'^ says St. Teresa, " is the gate through 
which the graces of the Lord pass. If this gate be 
closed, what will become of us 1 Alas ! " she adds, ^' I 
have had sad experience of it. I had the misfortune 
to give up the practice of mental prayer, and I became 
every day more negligent and less devout. Had I not 
returned to this holy exercise, I would have been lost.'^ 

David, although placed upon a throne, and occupied 
with the affairs of his kingdom, was accustomed to pray 
to God seven times in the day, as he himself informs 
us ; he even rose in the night to pray. Inspired by 
the spirit of God, he composed the Psalms, which are 
still used in the Church, and form part of the daily 
office of the clergy and religious. 

Several great princes, such as Charlemagne, St. 
Louis, and the Emperor St. Henry, observed religiously 
the practice of reciting daily the office of the Church ; 
they also arose in the night to assist at matins. 

An author who cannot be suspected of partiality to 
Christian practices, and who wrote under the influence 
of the philosophy of the eighteenth century, at a time 
when it was yet novel, and most violent in its hatred of 
Christianity, makes the following reflection : — ^^ When 
the ancient Eomans sat down to table, the master of 
Xhe house took a cup of wine, and sprinkled some drops 



THE EPriCACT OF PKAYER. 313 

of it on the floor, as a homage to divine Providence. 
At all times, Christians, before and after meals, prayed 
to God, to thank Him for the repast of which they were 
going to partake, or which they had just taken. Is 
it not very censurable, and, at the same time, very 
ridiculous, that in France, for the last fifty years, this 
act of gratitude, so natural and so religious, is regarded 
by the great as a puerile ceremony, a low custom, 
which modern manners ought to proscribe 1 Our in- 
feriors, in accustoming themselves to act ungratefully 
towards God, will soon act towards ourselves in like 



Exercises. — 1. Explain the second means by which the grace 
of God may be obtained. — 2. Bj what words does our divine 
Lord command the exercise of prayer, and what example has he 
given us of it ? — 3. What renders this exercise so necessary ? — 
4. Is it sufficient to give but a few minutes to prayer ? — 5. What 
says St. Liguori, of the necessity of prayer 1 — 6. Does God not 
become wearied of hearing our repeated requests ? 



SECTION II. 

Of the Efficacy of Prater, 

The efficacy of prayer is a truth which is repeated in 
almost every page of Holy Writ ; and the promises of 
our Lord, to all who invoke his aid, are formal. ^^ Cry 
to me, and I will hear thee.'^ * " Call upon me in the 
day of trouble : I will deliver thee.^' t ^^ Ask, and it 
shall be given you ; seek, and you shall find ; knock 
and it shall be opened to you.^'f ^^All things what- 
soever you ask when you pray, believe and you shall 
receive ; and they shall come unto you.'^ § He is not 
satisfied with saying that our prayers will be heard 
when offered with due dispositions ; he solemnly avers 
it : " Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father 
anything in my name. He will give it you."|| In 
fine, to dissipate every doubt that might possibly arise, 
he makes use of a comparison, capable of animating the 

* Jer., xxxiii, 3. tPs._, xlix^ 15. t Matt., vii, 7. 
§ Mark; xi, 24. || John^ xvi; 23. 

14 



314 DUTIES OF A christia:n". 

most desponding. ^^ What man is there among you^ of 
whom if his son shall ask bread, will he reach him a 
stone ? or if he shall ask him a fish, will he reach him 
a serpent ? If vou, then, being evil, know how to give 
good gifts to your cliildren, how much more will j^our 
Father, who is in heaven, give good things to them 
that ask Him'r^* After promises so formal, we must 
have lost our faith if we doubt of the efficacy of prayer. 
If we confide in the promises of a good man, how 
much more ought we to confide in the promises and as- 
severations of our Lord and Master, who is truth itself ! 
To give diffidence entrance into our heart, would be to 
do Him an injury. Whence can this diffidence come ? 
Is it from om^ own unworthiness ? But is not the good- 
ness of God towards us pm-ely gratuitous ,* and is not 
the very avowal of om' misery a new title to gain access 
to that God, whose mercy the greatest crimes cannot ex- 
haust, and who invites the greatest sinners to approach 
Him with confidence ? Is it not in the name of Jesus 
Christ that we pray ; and is not om' unworthiness lost in 
his infinite merits 1 No, the prayer of the humble sinner 
has never been rejected ; it elevates itseK to the throne 
of God, and infallibly attracts his mercy down to him 
who prays. 

Is there any one, says the prophet, who has invoked 
the Lord, and has been despised ? Our fathers cried to 
the Lord, and they were delivered j they hoped in the 
Lord, and they were not confounded. Whoever in- 
vokes the name of the Lord, shall be saved. This full, 
entire, and unbounded confidence in God does Him 
honor. It is a homage rendered to his goodness, 
mercy, and fidelity. Prayer obtains everything : God 
can refuse it nothing. '' Who hath called upon Him,'^ 
says the wise man, '' and He despised him f " t ^^ Every 
one that asketh," says St. Jerome, ^^ receiveth ; '' Moses 
prayed on the mountain, and the enemies of God were 
vanquished ; Judith prayed, and her country was de- 
livered ; the devout king Ezechias prayed, and God 
revoked the decree of his death ; the publican prayed 
* Matt., vii, 9-11. t Ecclus., ii, 12. 



THE EEFICACY 0]F PEAYER. 315 

in the temple, and lie was justified ; the penitent 
woman prayed, and her sins were forgiven ; the good 
thief prayed upon the cross, and, although guilty of 
enormous crimes, yet he obtained pardon. Hence, St. 
John says : '^ And this is the confidence which we 
have towards Him : that, whatsoever we shall ask ac- 
cording to his will, He heareth us ; and we know that 
He heareth us whatsoever we ask." * 

Let us not allege om' weakness when we are exhorted 
to practise virtue ) let us not say, that our inclination 
to evil drags us along, and that we have not strength 
to resist the violence of our passions. "' Being able to 
procure by humble prayer," observes St. Ligaori, '' the 
divine aid, which will enable us to do all things, we 
are inexcusable if we yield to temptation." We can 
pray, and prayer will sustain our weakness ; we can 
pray, and prayer will strengthen us against our evil 
inclinations ] we can pray, and prayer will moderate 
the violence of our passions. ^^ But if any of you want 
wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men 
abundantly, and upbraidetli not 5 and it shall be given 
him."t We never fail to obtain of God the succors 
which we ask for as we ought ; or if we do not obtain 
them, it is always through our own fault : it is because 
we have not recourse to God with sufficient confidence. 



St. John Chrysostom does not hesitate to say that 
prayer is, in a manner, more powerful than God himself : 
by this he means, that its power is such, that it causes 
God to yield, and not to put in execution the sentence 
whicli He has pronounced against us. His conduct 
with regard to the Israelites is a striking example of 
this. They had transgressed the law of the Lord, and 
had set ap a golden calf to adore it. God, always 
clement, seemed, as it were, to fear the prayer of Moses 
in their behalf. ^^ Let Me alone," said He, '' tliat my 
wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may 
destroy them."f Moses, however, continued to pray; 
and God, overcome by his importunity, di<l not execute 

* 1 John, V; 14, 15. t James, i, 5. X Exodus, xxxii, 10. 



1 



316 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAN*. 

that threat whicli He had pronounced against his 
people. 

Exercises. — 1. What is the power of prajer, and where 
shall we find the proof thereof? — 2. Give us some example 
illustrative of the power of prayer. 



SECTION III. 

Of the Conditions of Prayer. 

To reap from prayer the admirable fruits derivable 
from it, it must be made with the necessary conditions. 
Our prayer, to be acceptable to God, must be offered m the 
name, and through the merits , of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
He has not promised to grant us what we ask, except 
in his name alone ; and, therefore, the Church concludes 
all her petitions vdth these words : Through Jesus 
Christ our Lord, We must, secondly, pray with 
attention ; that is, think of God, and of what we ask. 
God attends more to the words of the heart, than to 
those of the mouth. Prayer being an elevation of the 
soul to God, we cannot be said to pray when we think 
of everything but of God, and of what we say. It is 
true, that distractions, when involuntary, do not render 
our pra3'ers bad ,• but God is offended by those to which 
we willingly give occasion, or which we do not reject as 
soon as we perceive them. They who pray with wilful 
distraction, merit the reproach which God formerly 
made to the Jews : '' This people honoreth me with 
their lips ,• but their heart is far from me."* We must, 
thirdly, pray with humility , conscious of our un worthi- 
ness, w^eakness, and misery j for '' God resisteth the 
proud, and giveth grace to the humble." t '' The 
Almighty," says St. Liguori, " does not hear the suppli- 
cations of the proud, who trust in their own strength, 
but leaves them to their own weakness and misery, 
which, when they are abandoned by divine grace, will 
infallibly lead them to perdition." Those who are 
* Matt., XV, 8. t James, iv, 6. 



THE COl!fDITIONS OF PEATER. 317 

penetrated with a sense of their own wants, insufficiency, 
and nothingness, will, in times of temptation and afflic- 
tion, have recourse, by humble prayer, to the divine aid, 
without which they can do nothing, and with which they 
can do all things. God is ever ready to hear the prayers 
of the humble. ^^ The prayer of him that humbleth 

himself, shall pierce the clouds and he will not 

depart till the Most High behold."* We must, fourthly, 
pray with confidence. Our Lord^s promise of hearing our 
prayers is always accompanied with this condition, that 
they be offered with faith. He ordinarily said to those 
who presented themselves to him to be cured, ^' Accord- 
ing to your faith, be it done unto you." t Our con- 
fidence cannot be too firm, since it rests on the power of 
God, which is infinite ; on his mercy, which has no 
bounds ; and on the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, in 
whose name we pray, and by whose merits we hope to 
be heard. We address ourselves, with confidence, in 
our temporal wants, to a powerful and tried friend ; 
and yet we fail to address ourselves to God in even 
our spiritual wants, although He commands and invites 
us to have recourse to Him, as to a good father. Is not 
such a procedure injurious to his tenderness f What is 
the goodness of man, when compared with that of God ? 
We must, finally, pray with perseverance, God, in- 
finitely good and w^ise in all things, sometimes defers 
granting what we ask ; this delay is not a refusal, but 
a trial. He desires by this, to make known the value 
of his gifts, to increase the ardor of our desires, and to 
dispose us to receive them with more abundance. We 
ought not to be discouraged, nor cease from praying. 
Our Lord himself commands it ; and to make us feel the 
necessity of perseverance, he presents us with two 
comparisons. The first is that of a widow, who, by 
her importunity, touched the heart of an unjust judge, and 
forced him at last to do her justice. The second is that 
of a man who came in the middle of the night, to borrow 
three loaves from a neighbor, who, being in bed, refused 
to give them. But the man was not disheartened j ho 
* Ecclus.; XXXV; 21. t Matt.; ix, 29. 



318 ■ DUTIES or A CHEISTIAK". 

continued to knock at the door ; lie redoubled his en- 
treaties ; at length his perseverance was recompensed ; 
he obtained what he desired. Our Lord concludes this 
parable by a lively and pressing exhortation to pray 
without ceasing", and by a formal promise to grant all 
that we ask with perseverance. The moment in which 
we cease to pray is, perhaps, the very one in which God 
had determined to hear us. Remember well this 
important truth, hy prayer we asJc, but by perseverance 
tve obtain. 



A virtuous and interesting little boy was accustomed 
to offer his heart to God every morning, with great 
fervor, being mindful of our Lord's loving command, 
^^ Son, give me thy heart." This offering was, as it 
were, the soul of all his actions. ^^ Whenever I fail in 
this duty, " he used to say, ^^ I feel dissipated during the 
day.'' He led a very holy life, and died at the age of 
twelve years, in sentiments of extraordinary piety. ^'My 
God," he often said, as he lay on his death-bed, ready 
to expire ; " My God, I have almost every day of my 
life offered Thee the sacrifice of my heart ,• I now 
freely offer Thee that of my life." 

If we imitate this pious boy, and, like him, be faithful 
in offering our heart to God every morning, we shall, like 
him, die in sentiments of true piety. — Akvisenet. 



EXEKCISES.-— 1. How many conditions should accompany our 
prayers ? — 2. Why should we pray in the name of Jesus Christ? 
— 3. VThj should we pray with attention f with humility f with. 
confidence ? with 'perseverance f — 4. What comparisons does our 
Lord present us which show the necessity of perseyering in. 



CHAPTER II. 

OE TEE LOED^S PEAYEE. 

SECTION L 
Of wliat tve should asJc of God: 
Our Blessed Lord himself has taught us the things for 



THE LORD^S PRAYER. 319 

wliich we are to pray, and the order in which we are to 
pray for them. He has been pleased to prepare that 
most excellent model of petition, called the Lord's 
Prayer^ which, in his name, we are to present to his 
Eternal Father. ^^ Jesus Christ," says St. Cyprian, 
^^ besides the salutary admonitions and precepts which he 
has given us, has prescribed a form of prayer for our use, 
that, addressing the Father in the words of the Son, we 
may more readily be heard. Let us then," continues 
the holy doctor, ^^ often use this divine prayer, which 
our Lord and Master has taught us. It is a prayer most 
agreeable to God, as ascending before Him in the words 
of Jesus Christ. Since Jesus Christ is our Advocate 
with the Father, let us make use of the words of our 
Mediator, who says, that whatever we ask the Father 
in his name will be granted ; ^ and how much more 
willingly will He attend to om' petitions when they are 
addressed, not only in the name of his beloved Son, but 
even in his very words ! " This divine prayer is in 
continual use in the Church, With it she begins and 
concludes all her offices, and it is always said in the holy 
sacrifice of the Mass. The faithful should say it every 
day, mornmg and evening ; and it would be very 
advisable to do so from time to time, during the day. 

The Lord's prayer is composed of a short preface and 
seven petitions j the first three of these petitions regard 
God, the last four relate to ourselves. It contains all 
that we can desire or ask of God ; it is the rule by which 
we ought to regulate our sentiments and our desires. 
We may use other words when we pray, but we cannot 
ask of God anything which this prayer does not contain. 
Every petition which cannot be referred to it, is'an worthy 
of a Christian, and cannot be agreeable to God. The 
preface consists of these words : Our Father ivlio art in 
Heaven. Jesus Christ has expressed in these few 
words, ali that is most capable of engaging God to hear 
our petitions, and of inspiring us with sentiments of 
respect, confidence, and love. 

^^ We call God our Father ; Christ himself commands 
* John, xvi, 28, 



320 DUTIES OF A CHPvISTIAX. 

US to do SO. God is^ indeed, our Father by creation, 
"having given us life and made us to his image ; and 
fie is also om- Father by the grace of regeneration, 
since, in baptism, He adopted us in Jesus Christ, for 
his children. ^^ Behold what manner of charity the 
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, 
and should be the sons of God.^^* " Because you are 
sons,'^ says St. Paul, '^ God hath sent the Spirit of his 
Son into yom' hearts, crying, Abba, Father." t name 
full of charms and sweetness ! What love, what grati- 
tude, what confidence, ought it not to excite in our heart ! 
If it is true that God is our Father, can you imagine 
that your prayer will be rejected, when you call upon 
Him by a name in which He takes so much delight ? 
What will He not grant to one who prays to Him, 
after having been received by Him into the number of 
his children ? Fear only to render yourself unworthy 
by your disobedience, of being called the child of God ; 
for nothing else can stop the course of his graces, or the 
efiect of your prayers. 

Each one, in speaking of God, says ow* Father, and 
not mi/ Father, because, being all children of the same 
Father, and hoping for the same inheritance, we pray, 
not only for om'selves, but also for all the faithful, who 
are our brethren ; and moreover, that it is not in our 
own name that we pray, but in the name of Jesus Christ, 
and in union with the entire body of the Church, of 
which we are members. We add, ivho art in Heaven 5 
for, although God fills all places by his immensity, we 
consider heaven as the throne of his glory, where He 
manifests himseK to the blessed in all his majesty and 
beauty. Heaven is our true country, the inheritance 
which our loving Father has provided for us. When, 
therefore, we pray, we should elevate our thoughts and 
desires thither, unite ourselves to the society of the 
blessed spiiits, and excite in our heart the desire and 
the hope of one day possessing Gx)d for ever in his blissful 
region. 

* 1 John, iii; 1. t Gal., iv, 6. 



THE lord's prayer. 321 

St. Francis of Assisium was disinlierited by his father, 
on account of his great liberality to the poor ; but the 
saint, filled with spiritual consolation, only observed, 
^^ Now I can, with greater confidence than ever, say : 
Our Father^ who art in HeavenP Oh, how truly great 
the nobility of a Christian ! God himself is his 
Father ! 

A young shepherd had the pious custom of praying 
while he attended his flock in the interior of the country. 
Being asked, if he felt not lonely, and if his time did not 
pass heavily in a place so removed from society, he re- 
plied, that his time passed quickly, and agreeably, too, 
by means of the Our Father^ in which he discovered an 
exhaustless source of consoling thoughts and pious 
sentiments. Such, he said, was the delight which 
it afforded him, that to meditate on the entire prayer 
but once, would give him sufficient mental occupation 
for a whole w^eek. 

St. Hugh, Bishop of G-renoble, having fallen sick, 
did nothing during the night but repeat the Lord^s 
prayer. The servant who attended him, remarked that 
the constant recital of this prayer would increase his 
sickness. '' You are mistaken,^' he replied ; '^ the 
recital of so beautiful a prayer cannot do me the least 
harm ; on the contrary, I find that the frequent repeti- 
tion of it refreshes and improves me." 



Exercises, — 1. Which is the most excellent model of prayer, 
and who is its author? — 2. How many petitions are there in the 
Lord's prayer ? — 3. Explain the preface of this prayer. 



SECTION II. 
First Petitioit. — " Hallowed he thy name.^^ 

It is just that the glory of God should be the object 
of our first desire and our first petition. As children of 
God, nothing shoukl be so dear to us as tlie honor and 
glory of our Father. We begin, then, by })raying that 
his name may be hallowed, that is, honored and gdori- 



322 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIA]Sr. 

fied. The name of God is holy in itself; it cannot 
acquire any new degree of holiness ; but it is frequently 
dishonored by the language and conduct of men. 
What we ask by these w^ords is, that the holy name of 
God may be known, praised, and adored, by all crea- 
tures ; that every tongue may bless Him ; that the 
whole universe may render Him the homage which is 
due to his sovereign Majesty j that his glory may be 
extended to all the nations of the earth. There are 
infidels who know not God ; we beg of Him that they 
may be brought forth from the darkness in which they 
lie buried, and be called to the admirable light of the 
Gospel. There are heretics who know God, but do not 
render Him a pure worship ; we beg that they may re- 
nounce their errors, acknowledge the truth, and enter into 
the bosom of the true Chm^ch, out of which there is no 
salvation. In fine, there are bad Christians, wdio do not 
serve God, who outrage Him by their sins, who profane 
and blaspheme his holy name ; we beg that the}^ may be 
converted to Him by sincere penance, and may begin to 
glorify Him by their edifying conduct. We pray even 
for the just, who already honor the name of God by thek 
virtues, that they may increase in justice, and persevere 
in it to the end. But what we ought chiefly to desire 
is, that we may ourselves sanctify the name of God, 
consecrate our wiiole life to his glory, and cause Him 
to be honored and glorified by others. We give glory 
to the name of God by our thoughts, by humbling 
ourselves profoundly before his divine Majesty, and by 
ever thinking of God, and of the things of God, with 
profound respect and religious veneration. We give 
glory to the name of God by our words, by never 
speaking of Him but with a feeling of interior ad^>ration 
and of profound respect. We give glory to Him l)y 
our actions, by leading an exemplary life, calculated to 
conduct others to his service and love. In repeating 
this petition, hallotved he thy name, we ought to have a 
sincere desire of pi^ocuring the glory of God, as much 
as in our power, and of inclining others to honor Him, 
— inspuing them by om' language and conduct with a 



PRAYEK. 323 

love of virtue and a relish for piety. Without tliis 
desire^ our heart would belie our lips, and our words 
bear witness against us, since we do not really wish 
that for which we pretend to petition. But what shall 
w^e say of those who, though they daily beg that Grod^s 
name may be glorified, occasion others to offend his 
divine Majesty by their evil counsel and bad example? 

A dutiful son holds his father's name in benediction : 
his greatest pleasure is to hear him praised ,• his greatest 
afPiiction, to see him despised. Such are the sentiments 
which a good Christian entertains for God. He is ani- 
mated with zeal for the glory of so good a Father ; he 
is afflicted at beholding the indifference of the lukcAvarm 
among Christians ; and is horrified at hearing the blas- 
pliemies of the wicked. 



Exercises. — 1. What is the object of the first petition of the 
Lord's prayer ? — 2. In saying hallowed he thy name, what grace 
do we beg for infidels ? for heretics ? for the just ? — 3. How do we 
glorify the name of God? — 4. What desire should accompany 
this petition ? 



SECTION III. 

Secoi^d PETiTio:t;r. — ''Thy Mngdom comeJ^ 

By these words, thy Mngdom come^ we beg that God 
may possess a sovereign power over all his creatures. 
This S'.vereign power belongs necessarily and essentially 
to Him : we cannot w^ithdraw ourselves from his empire. 
But there is another kingdom, a kingdom of grace, with 
which we must cooperate, and which depends on our 
own consent ; a kingdom entirel}^ spiritual, in which 
the soul, anticipated and assisted by grace, obeys frc^ely 
and willingly all the inspirations of God, conforming 
itself in all things and without reserve, to his good 
pleasure, executing with fidelity, all his commands, and 
having no other rule of conduct than his law and ordin- 
ances ; a kingdom, in fine, wherein the heart gives itself 
to God, in order that he possess it entirely, govern it 
according to his good pleasiu'e, and disengage it from 



324 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAl^. 

every terrestrial affection, and from every human attach- 
ment. Such is the kingdom which we desire that God 
should establish in us at present. There is another 
kingdom, that of his glory, in wliich He has prepared 
for his elect an immortal crown, where He imparts 
himself to them, that they may possess Him for ever, 
bestows upon them all his riches and treasures, fills them 
with the abundance of his house, inebriates them with the 
torrent of its delights, and in which they shall reign with 
Him for ever and ever. Such is the kingdom wliich 
we desire should come. What we ask, therefore, by 
this petition is, that God may reign in our heart by his 
grace in this w^orld, and that we may reign with Him 
in the kingdom of his glory in the next. In repeating 
this petition, we ought to desire sincerely, that the king- 
dom of sin and of the passions may be destroyed in us ; 
that our mind, heart, and body, be entirely submissive 
to God • and He that may be their sole Master and only 
Sovereign. If we are the slaves of bad habits, and 
subject to vice, we must weep over our unhappy ser- 
vitude, desire sincerely to break our chains, and enter 
into the liberty of the children of God j we must after- 
wards elevate our thoughts and desires above the earth, 
which is the place of our exile ; we must sigh after our 
true country, where, possessed of inexpressible delights, 
we shall reign with our Lord Jesus Christ for all 
eternity. This should be the object of our desires and 
hopes, the panacea of our pains, labors and afflictions. 
The life of man, though short, is filled with miseries. 
How can we be attached to so miserable a life, know- 
ing that we are destined for one which is eternal I How 
can we apprehend the separation from this mortal and 
corruptible body, wliich prevents us from seeing God, 
and enjoying the company of the blessed spirits ? 
What can be more advantageous to us than to leave 
this prison, to quit this visible world, in which we are 
exposed to so many dangers, beset with so many snares, 
and in which, at every moment, we run the risk of 
perishing ? A good Christian has incessantly before 
his eyes the recompense he expects 3 he regards himself 



325 

upon earth as a traveller : he is already, by the liveli- 
ness of his faith and hope, a citizen of heaven. 
Seated beside the river of Babylon, he weeps bitterly 
at the remembrance of his true country, his heavenly 
Jerusalem ; he frequently raises his eyes towards the 
holy mountain, the dwelling of peace, where his inherit- 
ance awaits him, where Jesus Christ is to crown him, 
and render him eternally happy. 



^^ The loss of my goods," said a martyr for the faith, 
^^is a trifling matter. No man can deprive me of 
heaven, which is the true inheritance of the children 
of God, who, in a few moments, will put me in posses- 
sion of its inconceivable and never-ending happiness." 

Exercises. — 1. What do we ask of God by the words, Thy 
Jcingdom come f — 2. What ought to be our desire in repeating this 
petition ? 



SECTION IV. 

Third PETiTioisr. — " T% will he done on earth as it is 
in Heaven.^^ 

To obtain from our heavenly Father the inheritance 
which He reserves for us, and the kingdom for which 
He has destined us, we must do his will. Our Lord 
himself admonishes us of this in the Gospel : ^' Not all 
who say. Lord ! Lord ! shall enter into the kingdom of 
heaven ; but they who do the will of my Father." 
The will of God is, that we do good and avoid evil ; 
and it is this will which the prophet desires we 
should do, when he says : ^^ Teach me to do thy will; 
make me walk in the way of thy commandments ; give 
to my heart the relish of thy holy ordinances." This 
divine will is manifested to us in the commandments of 
God and of his Church, and in the admonitions of 
superiors. In saying, 2'ht/ will he done on earth as it is 
in heaven, we beg of God grace to observe his law, to 
obey the Church, and all those who have been charged 
to govern us ; we desire that our obedience may be as 



I 



326 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAl^. 

perfect as that of tlie angels and saints in heaven. 
There all obey God with promptitude, punctuality, and 
ardor. Is it thus we obey 1 Are we faithful in obey- 
ing God's commandments? Are we submissive to 
those who hold his place in our regard 1 This prayer 
is sincerely made, only when the heart accords with the 
tongue ; it would- be telling a lie to God, to ask Him 
Anth the lips for that which the heart does not desire. 

The will of God is the cause of all the events of this 
life, except sin ,• and all that happens in the world is 
regulated by it. We may resist the grace of God as 
we please^ but to prayer, and to prayer alone, is it 
given, to affect the operation of his sovereign will. 
Our duty in regard to it is, to adore it, to accept with 
resignation the evils which God pleases to send us, and 
to receive, as from the hands of a father, the chastise- 
ments with which He visits us. God permits these 
evils to happen to us, because He has designs of mercy 
on us. If He sends us afflictions, it is because He 
desires to save us ; He wishes that they serve to 
expiate our sins. It is, therefore, through mercy, 
rather than justice, that God punishes us in this life ; 
this makes the apostle say, that the Lord chastises 
whom He loves, and strikes whom He receives into 
the number of his children. And thus He acts as a lov- 
ing father ; for where is the child that is not corrected 
by his parents f 

By these words, Thi/ will he done, we also beg grace 
to support with entire submission all the pains which 
it pleases God to send us, and that, whatever happens, 
we may be patient and resigned, and perfectly con- 
formed in heart and mind to the designs of his holy 
providence. We cannot make this petition as we ought, 
without renouncing our own will, or without, at least, 
endeavoring to renounce it. Nothing is more advan- 
tageous to us than to subject ourselves to the will of 
God. Man is lost only because he prefers his own 
will to that of God , he can be saved only by prefer- 
ring the divine will to his own. ^^ Take awa}^ self-will,^' 
says St. Bernard, ^^ and there will be no hell.'^ Our 



THE lord's prater. 327 

Lord himself lias given us the example of this perfect 
conforinity to the will of God : ^^ I came down from 
heaven/' said he^ ^^ not to do my own will^ but the will 
of Him that sent me.'' * And again : '' My food is to 
do the will of Him that sent me." t The whole life of 
our Lord was^ in fact, but the exact accomplishment of 
the orders of his heavenly Father. If he was born in 
a stable, passed his youth in humiliating obscurity, and 
his last years in the functions of a painful ministry, it 
was because his Father had sent him, and that he 
regulated all his actions by the orders he had received 
from Him. If, in fine, he died by the most ignomini- 
ous of punishments, it was that the will of his Father, 
not his own, might be accomplished. 



^' Obe}^ the emperors," was the usual mandate of the 
judges to the martyrs of Christ : ^^ Obey their edicts, or 
you shall be delivered to the lions, to the flames," and 
so forth. '^ We also have a law," was the reply of these 
generous combatants, '' and this law is the will of God. 
It forbids us to adore idols, and requires that w^e remain 
firm in our faith, and faithful to our duty. You promise 
us the riches of this world, but these we despise : the 
only riches which we esteem or desire are the imperishable 
riches of Heaven." 



Exercises. — 1. What must we do to merit the inheritance 
promised us f — 2. What graces do we beg of God by saying the 
third petition ? — 3 How are we to act in order to accomplish 
this divine will in the events of this life ? — 4, What other grace 
do we beg by the words, Thy will he done f — 5. What example 
has Jesus Christ given us of conformity to the will of God f 



SECTION V. 

FouKTH Petition. — ^^ Give us this day our daily , 
bread.^^ 

After the first three petitions, which regard the glory 
of God, we pray for daily food for the body and soul. 
'^ John, vi, 38. t John, iv, 34. 



328 DUTIES OF A chiiistia:n. 

God is tlie source of every good. It is He who pro- 
vides for all our wants, both in the order of nature and 
that of grace. We are all in his sight as beggars who 
possess nothing, but what we have received from his 
beneficent and liberal hand. 

The rich themselves are obliged to beg each day their 
bread, to acknowledge that they have received from the 
hand of God, whatever they possess j that they hold it 
from his liberality; and that they would lose it in a 
thousand ways, if He did not mercifully preserve it for 
them. Remark, that we do not ask of God superfluous 
riches, nor wherewith to satisfy our sensuality and pride, 
but only our daily bread, that is, what is absolutely 
necessary for our subsistence, according to our state ; 
and w^e ask it only for the present day, for our Lord 
forbids us to be solicitous about to-morrow, which we 
may not live to see; He wishes that we rely on his 
providence, and that we daily have recourse to Him, 
well assured that we have a good Father, alw^ays 
equally ready to grant to his children whatever is 
necessary for them. '' Be not therefore solicitous for 
to-morrow, for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. 
Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof." * This con- 
fidence in Providence ought not, however, to be idle or 
presumptuous. God d^es not wash to favor sloth ] but 
He orders us to do all that depends on us, and, when 
we have done so, to confide entirely in Him, and to 
reckon upon the inexhaustible treasures of his provid- 
ence. The manna was given day by day to the 
Israelites in the desert, and during forty years it w^as 
never even once withheld. Thus far as regards the 
W'ants of the body. 

We have also a soul, w^hich needs spiritual nourish- 
ment ; and it is this bread of the soul for which we 
principally ask in this petition. It consists in the word 
of God, his grace, and the Holy Eucharist. 

The W'Ord of God nourishes the soul. It preserves 
the just, and makes them advance in justice; it heals 
sinners, and leads them back to the life of grace which 
* Matt., vi, 34. 



THE LORD^S PRATER. 329 

they had lost; it is the ordinary means that God 
employs for imparting and augmenting the knowledge 
and love of the truths of salvation. We should never 
neglect to hear the word of God j and when we do hear 
it, we should do so with respect, and a sincere desire of 
profiting by it. 

Grace is as necessary for the life of the soul, as 
material bread is to preserve the life of the body. 
Grace sustains and strengthens the soul, and enables it 
to act. We stand continually in need of its assistance ; 
and God wills that, to obtain it, we pray for it daily 
and with great earnestness. 

In fine, the Holy Eucharist is the nourishment of the 
soul. Jesus Christ himself assures us of it: ^^ Amen, 
amen, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the 
Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have 
life in you;" "I am the living bread which came 
down from Heaven : if any man eat of this bread he 
shall live for ever."* The primitive Christians received 
this heavenly bread every day. It would be desirable 
that the Christians of our times followed their example, 
for our soul becomes languid, and must finally die, if 
deprived of this heavenly aliment ; but as the heart 
must be pure to receive it worthily, we beg of God 
each day, when we offer this petition, to give us that 
purity of heart, necessary for receiving with fruit this 
most precious treasure. 



King Solomon prayed to God that He would give 
him neither poverty nor riches; not poverty, lest he 
might yield to temptation, and offend Him ; nor riches, 
lest he should be puffed up with pride, and imagine ho 
wanted not God's assistance. He begged only what 
was necessary for the preservation of life, and that God 
would teach him, at the same time, from whose hand he 
received it, that thus he might be constantly incited to 
give glory to God, as his Sovereign Lord and Almighty 
Benefactor. 

* John^ vi. 



330 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAlSr. 

Exercises. — 1. Explain tlie fourth petition of the Lord's 
prayer. — 2. Why are we to ask only for our daily bread? — 
3. Does our soul need nourishment, and in what does it consist ? 
— 4. How does the word of God nourish the soul ? — 5. Is grace 
necessary to preserve the life of the soul? — 6. By w^hat words 
does Jesus Christ assure us that he is the food of our soul ? 



SECTION VI. 

FiETH Petition. — ^' And forgive us our trespasses 
as we forgive those that trespass against usJ^ 

A God so goodj a Father so tender, ought to find in 
his children a perfect docility to his holy law^ a con- 
stant and inviolate fidelity to all that He requires. Such 
should be the conduct of men with regard to God : yet 
they ofiend Him, violate his commandments in the most 
essential points, and outrage Him by the' greatest crimes. 
The just themselves frequently fall into faults, which, 
as it were, sadden the Holy Ghost. They do not, it is 
true, commit grievous sins which kill the soul, and 
separate it from God ; but they daily fall into venial 
faults which excite his displeasm^e. " If we say that 
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is 
not in us.'^ * These are the words of the apostle St. 
John. Our Blessed Lord, well aware of the weakness 
of human nature, imposes it as a duty on us to pray 
daily for the pardon of om' oflenees ; nor would he have 
required us so to do, were he not desirous of granting 
our petition. But it is necessary that he who makes 
this petition, should acknowledge and regret his sins. 
Without contrition no sin whatever, either mortal or 
venial, can be forgiven ; and God pardons only thDse 
who, with a sincere regret for having ofiended Him, 
have a firm resolution of sinning no more. We must 
not, however, dispense ourselves from reciting this 
prayer, under pretext of not having this disposition. It 
is our duty to pray for it. In saying to God, forgive 
us our trespasses J we beg the grace of true repentance, 
to obtain thereby the pardon of om' sins. Having this 
*lJohn, i, 8. 



THE LOHD^S PRATEE. ' 331 

disposition, one is sure to be lieard favorably, and of 
being soon perfectly reconciled to God. 

But would it be just to expect that God would forgive 
us our offences, if we refuse to pardon those who have 
offended us 1 Would it be reasonable to desire that 
God should treat us indulgently, and forget the injuries 
we have done Him, if we are desirous of avenging those 
which have been done to us ? We say daily to God, 
forgive us our trespasses^ as we fm^give those that 
trespass against us. The pardon which we grant to 
others is the measure, then, of that which we ask of 
God for ourselves. If we pardon our neighbor, God 
will pardon us ) if we refuse to pardon him, we have 
no pardon to expect. To make this petition, and, at 
the same time, to nourish in our heart resentment against 
those who have offended us, we would say to God : 
^^ Pardon me not, because I will not pardon those who 
have injured me ; revenge thyself upon me, for I desire 
to be revenged of them." Thus would we pass sen- 
tence of condemnation on ourselves, by praying that 
God should treat us as we treat our neighbor. 



A certain nobleman, who had refused to pardon his 
enemy, was induced by St. John the Almoner to assist 
at his Mass in a private oratory. It being then the 
custom for all the assistants to recite the Lord's prayer 
aloud at Mass, the saint made a sign to his attendant to 
stop when he came to the ^^ord's, /or^ive us our trespasses j 
as ive forgive those that trespass against us, so that only 
the nobleman's voice was heard. The Holy Bishop 
soon afterwards, with great earnestness, thus addressed 
the nobleman : "• My Lord ! what have you said ? You 
have just pronounced your own sentence ! You have 
prayed that God would not forgive you, as you are 
resolved not to forgive your enemy !" The nobleman, 
Jiffected by these words, prostrated liimself before tlie 
altar, and declared that he forgave him. The recon- 
ciliation was speedily and permanently effected. 



332 DTTTIES OP A cnr.TSTiA:N". 

Exercises. — 1. Is it obligatory for us to prav daily for the 
pardon of our offences? — 2. Why is this request iucUnled in the 
Lord's prayer ? — 3. According to what measure are we to obtain 
pardon for our offences ? 



SECTION VII. 

Sixth Petitioit. — " And lead us not into temptation^ 

That God should mercifully pardon our past sins is 
not enough ; we require grace to preserve us from sin in 
future. We are every moment in danger of offending 
God, as we are continually beset with temptations, 
and, therefore, we must have recourse to the divine 
protection, saying to God with fervor, lead us not 
into temptation. By this petition we beg that God, 
compassionately regarding our weakness, would shield 
us from temptations, or enable us to triumph over them. 
The world, the devil, and our own passions, conspire to 
destroy us. The world tempts us by its bad example, 
its language, and its maxims. The devil tempts us, by 
making impressions on our senses and imagination, which 
tend to suggest evil thoughts and desires. He leaves 
nothing undone to cause us to yield to his suggestions ; 
and St. Peter says that he, '^ as a roaring lion, goeth 
about, seeking whom he may devour."* In fine, con- 
cupiscence, that is, the strong inclination to evil, with 
which w^e are born, continually tempts us ; it pursues us 
w^herever we go ; it is a domestic enemy, which fur- 
nishes the devil and the world with arms to attack us 
with more advantage. To be tempted is not a sin ; it 
is an occasion of merit when resisted ; but it is a sin to 
consent to the temptation. If, through fear of offending 
God, we repress the first emotions, which are excited in 
us, and if we constantly refuse to consent to the evil, 
there is no sin. Our resistance is even an act of vui;ue, 
which God will one day recompense ; but if, after hav- 
ing perceived the evil, we entertain it, or dwell upon it 
with complacency, then it becomes sinful, and renders us 
culpable. Although temptation is not in itself a sin, yet it 
is always exceedingly dangerous. We do not, however, 
* 1 Peter, v, 8. 



THE loPvd's prayer. 333 

pray God to exempt us entirely from it ; for temptation 
is inevitable in this life^ whichj as tlie saintly man Job 
says^ is a time of warfare. The greatest saints have 
suffered its assaults. Even our Lord permitted himself 
to be tempted, that he might teach us the manner of 
resisting temptations, and obtain for us grace to overcome 
them. 

What we ask, is, that we may not be abandoned in 
our temptations ; for our frailty is such, that the least 
of them would be sufficient to overpower us, if we were 
not assisted by the grace of the Almighty. To Him, 
then, we have recourse. We make before Him the 
humble avowal of our weakness ; we beg of Him to 
turn away from us those violent temptations to which 
we would yield ; and that in all those which He may 
be pleased to send us as a trial of om^ fidelity. He may 
deign to support us, and give us the strength necessary 
to obtain the victory. With the help and protection 
of God we have nothing to fear; He is sufficiently 
powerful to enable us to overcome all our temptations, 
and even to turn them to our advantage. He will 
grant his assistance, provided we watch over ourselves, 
do not rashly expose ourselves to danger, and beg his 
help in temptations which are unavoidable. We shall 
not be left alone in the combat. God himself will fight 
for us. '' God is faithful," says St. Paul, ^^ who will 
not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able 5 
but will even make with temptation issue" (that is, 
a way to escape), '^ that you may be able to bear it."* 
God^s word cannot fail : He has promised to deliver 
those who hope in Him, and to protect those who 
invoke Him. They shall be attacked, but nothing- 
can injure them, so long as God is their refuge ,* He 
will give them victory over their enemies ; and tempta- 
tion* so far from injuring them, shall perfect them and 
confirm their virtue, in order that they may persevere 
to the end. 



Cor., X, 13. 



334 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 

'^ The wound in thy side^ Lord, is very great/^ said St. 
Philip Neri ; '' but if Thou restrain me not, I shall, by 

my infidelities, render it still greater." .'' Lord," said 

another saint, " abandon me not to myself, or I shall 
assuredly perish.". . . . ^^ Where wast Thou, Lord?" 
said St. Catherine of Sienna, after having sufiered the 
assaults of a violent temptation, — " Where wast Thou, 
Lord?" " I was in the depth of thy heart, sustaining 
thee," He replied ,* ^^ and it was I who gave thee so 
great a horror of the evil suggestions of thy enemy." 

'' Where art Thou, O Lord," exclaimed St. 

Anthony, '' and why hast Thou abandoned me ? " A 
voice replied : " I have been ever at thy side 5 I wished 
to be a spectator of thy com'age. Because thou hast 
resisted, my help shall never fail thee." 

Exercises. — 1. What do we ask of God by the sixth 
petition ? — 2. Name the enemies that conspire to destroy us, and 
tell us the means they employ to succeed. — 3. Of what do we 
stand in need; to resist these assaults ? 



SECTION VIIL 

Seve:s^th Petitio]^'. — ^^ But deliver us from eviV^ 

We conclude this prayer by begging God to deliver 
us from evil ; that is, from the miseries of this life, from 
the enemies of our soul, and from eternal damnation. 
To how many evils are w^e not subject in this life ! 
How many are the afflictions that embitter it ! 
Sickness and pain afflict our body ; trouble, in- 
quietude, and chagrin, attack our soul. It is with much 
reason that the Chm"ch calls this earth, a valley of tears. 
We do not ask to be set free from all our miseries, this 
privilege not being consistent with our present sfate ; 
what we ask is, to be delivered from those which would 
be occasions of sin, and injmious to oar salvation. 
There is no true evil but that which puts an obstacle 
to our sanctification. If infirmities, poverty, calamities, 
are called evils, they can be so named only because 



THE lord's prayer. 335 

they trouble tlie soul, expose it to temptation, repinings, 
and despair 5 and because we have not sufficient virtue 
to support those afflictions without sin. The evils which 
we suffer patiently, so far from being prejudicial, serve 
to purify us, and contribute to our justification ; they 
are rather goods than evils ; and however painful they 
may be, they are, in the order of Providence, the punish- 
ment of sin, and a means of arriving at eternal happiness. 
^^ Through many tribulations,'^ says the Apostle, '' we 
must enter into the kingdom of God.''* We are per- 
mitted to desire and to ask deliverance from these evils, 
provided we make this prayer with entire resignation 
to the will of God, and that we are disposed to suffer 
with submission, if He judge it useful or necessary to 
our salvation. In praying thus, and in persevering 
therein, we will find the true remedy for all our evils. 
God will mercifully hear us, and will either deliver us 
from those evils, or, what is much better, will enable us 
to bear them. We beg to be delivered from the enemies 
of our salvation, and particularly from the devil, our 
chief and most cruel enemy. This spirit of darkness, 
not content with having seduced our first parents in para- 
dise, and having drawn upon their posterity a deluge of 
evils, ceases not to make war upon us, and lay snares 
for our destruction : but God restrains his fury, and pre- 
scribes him bounds beyond which he cannot pass. In 
fine, we implore God to deliver us from eternal damna- 
tion, an evil which is both irreparable and eternal. In 
this abyss of evils, in this fatal eternity, it will be 
useless to pray for deliverance ] if once condemned, we 
must for ever bear the weight of the divine vengeance. 
In this eternity, there is no redemption to be hoped for, 
no happiness to be expected ; but an assemblage of all 
evils is to be suffered, and suffered without rehixation 
or end. Witln^ what ardor, with what perseverance, 
ought we daily and hourly supplicate our heavenly 
Father to be delivered from these friglitful and irremedi- 
able evils ! 



Acts, xiv, 21. 



336 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAlSr. 

St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea, rather 
than commit sin, constantly resisted the unjust order of 
the Emperor Valens, an Arian, and a persecutor of the 
Catholics. Valens sent the prefect, Modestus, to 
Oaesarea, with orders to prevail upon Basil, by threats 
or promises, to communicate with the Arians. The 
saint, being summoned by the prefect, came before him 
with a cheerful and undaunted countenance. Modestus, 
assuming a haughty au', said to the archbishop : 
^^ What dost thou mean by opposing so great an em- 
peror, whom all obey ? Art thou under no apprehension 
of feeling the effects of the power with which we are 
armed ?^' ^^ To what,'' replied the saint, "does this 
power extend ? " Modestus answered : " To confiscation 
of goods, banishment, tortm'es, and death." " None of 
these things,'' said the holy man, "give me the least 
uneasiness. He that has nothing to lose, is secure 
against confiscation. I am master of nothing but a few 
books and the rags I wear, for neither of which, I per- 
sume, 3^ou have any great desire. As to banishment, I 
know of no such thing in your power to inflict upon 
me, as I account not the country I now^ inhabit iny 
own. Heaven alone is my true country. Little do I 
fear yom' torments; my emaciated body cannot hold 
out long under them. Much less do I dread death, 
which I regard as a favor, for it will bring me the 
sooner to my Creator, for whom alone I live. I am 
ready to suffer everything rather than offend my God." 
The prefect, admiring the saint's intrepidity, withdrew, 
and going to the emperor, he said : " We are overcome : 
Basil is above our threats. He fears only one thing, 
and that is sin." 



Exercises. — 1. From wLat evils do we bef^ to be delivered 
by the last petition of the Lord's prayer? — 2. Are infirmities, 
poverty, and so forth, real evils, and what may they become if 
borne patiently ? — 3. What is the sovereign evil from which we 
request to be delivered ? 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATIOIT. 337 

CHAPTER III. 

The Ai^gelical SALUTATio:Nr. — " Ilailj Mmy, full 
of grace, the Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou 
amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, 
Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us 
sinners, now and at tlie hour of our death, AmenJ^ 

OF DEVOTIOIT TO THE MOST BLESSED YIEGIIS". 

The Blessed Virgin is, after God, the most worthy 
object of our homage. She was chosen, from all eter- 
nity, to be the living temple of the Eternal Wisdom, 
and the glorious instrument of man^s salvation. By her 
august quality of Mother of God, she is elevated above 
all the angels and saints, of whom she is the Queen. 
The Church, therefore, renders her a homage which 
she does not offer to any other saint. Favored from 
her Immaculate Conception, with gifts the most excel- 
lent and divine, Mary was a perfect model of all virtues, 
and the most holy of all creatures; and was, by a 
special privilege, exempted from every sin. Filled with 
benignity, she has for us the tenderness of a mother ; 
we became her children when Jesus Christ gave her as 
a mother to St. John, and, in his person, to all Chris- 
tians. She is, then, our Mother. What name more 
tender, more touching, more proper to inspire us with 
sentiments of boundless confidence in her, and to make 
us hope for necessary assistance from her ! She is sen- 
sible of our miseries -, her heart is feelingly alive to our 
wants when we expose them to her with confidence. 
Never has any one, as St. Bernard assures us, invoked 
her aid, without feeling the effects of her protection. 
She is particularly interested for the salvation of youth. 
She knows their weakness and the dangers to which 
they are exposed -, she sees the fury with which the 
devil assails them, the snares which he lays for them, 
and the efforts which he makes to rob them of their in- 
nocence. She protects them, in a particular manner, 
whenever they have recourse to her.- A thousand exam- 
ples might be given of persons preserved, through her 

15 



338 DUTIES OF A CHIIISTIAI!^. 

intercession, from the perils of this dangerous period of 
our existence. To mention but one : — -St. Francis of 
Sales was, in his youth, delivered, by the assistance of 
this Queen of Virgins, from a dangerous temptation, 
with which he had been long tormented. 

How powerful the intercession of the Blessed Virgin 
is, will easily be conceived, if we consider that she has 
before God all the privileges of a dear Mother ; her 
power is then unbounded, because the love of Jesus 
Christ for his blessed Mother is infinite. Her Son, 
who is all mighty, can refuse nothing to the best and 
most tender of mothers j he shares, if we may so speak, 
his authority with her ; no mediation or prayer can be 
so powerful as that of this favored being j he has estab- 
lished her the arbitress of his treasures, and the dispen- 
satrix of his graces -, and he wishes that we have 
recourse to her, that we may obtain them from him. 
We should, then, have recourse to the Blessed Virgin, 
with the confidence of a child casting itself into the 
arms of its mother. Let us have for her a tender 
devotion, and we shall always experience that no one 
implores her assistance in vain ; and let us invoke her 
in all our temptations and dangers. When darkness 
clouds the mind, or passion agitates the heart, — ^in per- 
plexity, in trouble, — let us think on her ; let her name 
be on our lips, but still oftener in our mind, and she 
will console us in our afflictions, she will dissipate our 
doubts, calm our agitations, and sustain us in our weak- 
ness. If we are just, she will confirm us in virtue, and 
cause us to persevere and increase in justice 5 but if, 
unhappily, we are in the state of sin, let us, without 
delay, have recourse to this Mother of Mercy, this 
^^ Refuge of Sinners,'^ and she will reconcile us with her 
divine Son. If we implore her powerful intercession to 
obtain the grace of a sincere conversion, she will ask for 
us those efficacious graces, by which we shall be released 
from the slavery of Satan, and restored to the happy 
liberty of the children of God. In whatever state of 
life we may be placed, let us contemplate the virtues 
which were conspicuous in her, particularly her ardent 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATIOif. 339 

charity, profound humility, and inviolable purity ; and 
endeavor to practise them after her example. In living 
thus, we shall be of the number of her true children, 
and she will be our Mother ; and as long as we are 
under her protection, we shall be secure from every 
danger. 

The most excellent prayer that we can address to 
the Blessed Virgin, is the "Hail Mary,^^ which the 
Church so frequently uses, and often joins with the 
Lord^s prayer. This prayer, so august in its simplicity, 
recalls to us the memory of the Incarnation. It contains, 
in a few words, the most perfect eulogy of the Blessed 
Virgin ; it is calculated to excite our liveliest confidence, 
by reminding us of her influence with God, and of the 
means she possesses for promoting our welfare and 
happiness. This prayer is called the Angelical Saluta- 
tion, because it commences with the words in which 
the Angel Gabriel addressed the Blessed Virgin, when 
he announced to her the mystery of the Incarnation : 
"Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; 
blessed art thou amongst women.^' These last words 
were repeated soon after by St. Elizabeth, in the visit 
which she received from the Mother of God, to which 
she added the remaining words of the first part of this 
prayer ; the Church has added the " Holy Mary,'' or 
second part. In reciting this pra3^er, we ought to have 
the intention of thanking God for the mystery of the 
Incarnation, of honoring the Blessed Virgin-, who has 
had so great a part in this mj^stery, and of testifying 
our confidence in her powerful intercession. With the 
same intention, let us often devoutly recite the following : 
— " Hail, Holy Vtrgin I thou hast borne in thy chaste 
womb the Author of grace, and hast received of his 
plenitude a superabundance of grace, which has rendered 
thee the most perfect of all creatures. The Lord is 
zvith thee by a presence the most intimate ; of thy sub- 
stance has his most pure body been formed. Thou 
hast been replenished with divine benedictions ; Heaven 
and earth have united to hless thee. The. fruit of thy 
womb is the source of all those blessings which are 



340 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIA]^. 

diffused throughout the world. Holy Mart/j Mother of 
God, thou knowest our miseries, thou art sensible of 
our wants, ])Tay for us noiv ; obtain for us the grace of 
repentance, and those virtues of which thou hast given 
so bright an example, particularly, humility and purity. 
Pray for us also at the hour of our death. Eemember, 
O Mother of God, though we are sinners, we are thy 
children ; redouble, then, thy maternal tenderness and 
solicitude for us at that awful moment when time ends 
and eternity begins ; sustain us in that last combat j 
fortify us against the terrors of death ; let us expire 
while pronouncing the sweet names of Jesus and Mary • 
and presenting us thyself at the tribunal of thy divine 
Son, procure for us a favorable sentence. Amen." 



A soldier recited every day seven Paters and Aves in 
honor of the seven joys and seven sorrows of the Mother 
of God. He became so attached to this pious practice 
that he very rarely omitted it. If, after going to bed, he 
remembered he had not performed this devotion, he arose, 
and, placing himself on his knees, paid this tribute of 
respect to his good Mother. Being once placed in one of 
the foremost lines, fronting the enemy, while the army, 
drawn up in battle array, awaited the signal of attack, 
he remembered that he had not, on that day, said his 
accustomed prayers to the Blessed Vhgin. He blessed 
himself, and commenced to recite them. Some of his 
comrades perceiving him make the sign of the cross, and 
seeing him at his prayers, began to make sport of him, 
calling him a poltroon and a coward. Others said he was 
a silly devotee. The soldier, takin§;,no notice of their 
railleries, continued his prayers, which he had no sooner 
ended than the battle commenced. His comrades fell 
everywhere around him, some killed, others severely 
wounded j and of the whole company to which he 
belonged, this client of Mary was the only one who 
escaped unhurt. When the war was over, he received 
his discharge, returned home, and ever after attributed 
his preservation, on that memorable day, to the Blessed 
Virgin's intercession. He never ceased to thank her 



THE AlfGELlCAL SALUTATIOIT. 34X 

for her protection, and to rejoice that he had retained 
the pious sentiments, with which ^ in his childhood, his 
parents had inspired him. — Mois de Marie. 

The famous victory of Lepanto will he an eternal 
monument of the power of the Mother of God, and of 
her title to the appellation of ^^Help of Christians," 
since it is to her that Christendom is indebted for the 
miraculous victory which the Christians gained over the 
Turks in the year 1571. Selim, the son of Soliman, 
emperor of the Turks, having rendered himself master 
of the Island of Cyprus, came with a powerful army to 
attack the Venetians, promising himself nothing less 
than the empire of the whole Christian world. The 
holy Pope, St. Phis V, Philip II, of Spain, and the 
Venetians, united to arrest the career of the common 
enemy. Although their forces were far inferior in 
numbers to those of the Turks, yet relying upon the 
protection of the Mother of God, the Christians did not 
doubt of success in this glorious enterprise. Prayers 
for their success were offered throughout Christendom. 
The faithful repaired in great numbers to the church of 
Our Lady of Loretto, to implore the assistance of 
heaven, through the intercession of the Blessed 
Virgin ; and Don John of Austria, general of the army, 
made a vow to go in person to visit this sanctuary. The 
Christians obtained what they asked j for the two fleets 
having come to an engagement on the 7th of October, 
the enemy lost in the battle, which lasted from morning 
until night, thirty thousand men, and above two hun- 
dred ships and galleys, besides ninety that were 
stranded. One hundred and sixteen pieces of great 
cannon, with two hundred and fifty-six smaller, and five 
thousand prisoners, fell into the hands of the Christians. 
Don John of Austria, as soon as the affairs with which 
he was charged permitted, went to Loretto, regardless 
of the rigor of the season, to fulfil his vow. 

Pope St. Pius V, fully convinced that this victory 
was to be ascribed to the intercession of the Mother of 
God, inserted in her litany the words, ^' Help of Chris- 
tians, pray for us," and instituted the Festival of the 



842 DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAlSr. 

Eosary, as perpetual memorials of this great benefit. 
Gregory XIII afterwards transferred this festival to tlie 
first Sunday of October^ which is therefore called 
" Rosary Sunday." — Hist. Eccl. 



Exercises. — 1. Who i&, after God^ the most worthy object of 
our homage^ and why so? — 2. Is the intercession of the Most 
Blessed Virgin very powerful before God^ and for what reasons? 
— 3. How should we have recourse to the Blessed Virgin? — 
4. What is the most excellent form of prayer that we can address 
to the Blessed Virgin? — 5. Of what words is the Angelical 
Salutation composed ? 



CHAPTER IV. 

OF THE HAPPI:n:ESS of LEADIE^a A CHRISTIAN" 
LIFE. 

It is but too ordinary to form an erroneous idea of a 
Christian life, and to regard it as melancholy, painful, 
and disagreeable. There can be no greater mistake, 
no greater injustice, than this wide- spread prejudice 
against virtue and piety. Young persons should guard 
particularly against this dangerous error, or undeceive 
themselves if they are already engaged in it. They 
should be convinced that happiness is the portion of 
virtue ; and if they doubt it, let them listen to the Holy 
Ghost, w^ho assures us in several parts of the Scriptures, 
that justice, or the observance of God's law, is always 
accompanied with peace of soul, that delicious feeling 
which a good conscience produces ; and, consequently, 
that virtue only renders man truly happy. Wherever 
fidelity to the law of God is spoken of, peace, which is, 
in a manner, inseparable from justice, is also mentioned. 
The Scripture, in the most emphatic terms, promises 
him who is faithful to the law of the Lord, that his 
dwelling shall be in peace. Remark, it says not that 
he shall find peace, that he shall enjoy peace, but that 
his dwelling shall be in peace ; he shall establish his 
abode in peace ; he shall be, as it were, surrounded 
with its blessings, and this peace — profound and 
abundant — it compares to a river whose salutary water 



HAPPIl^ESS OF SERVIISTG GOD. 343 

shall never be dried up. Hence; that pure and lively 
jovj that intimate, durable, and solid pleasure which the 
just experience. Happy, then, the man who loves, with 
all his aflPection, the law of the Lord. He shall be like 
a tree planted by the running waters, bearing fruit and 
flowers in every season. This is the language of the 
royal prophet ; and that of Jesus Christ in the Gospel 
is no less formal and positive. He declares, in the 
clearest and most distinct terms, that his yoke is sweet 
and his burden light j and that those who bear it, shall 
find peace of soul. 

"Innocence," says the eloquent Massillon, ^^is the 
source of true pleasure. Be not deceived by outward 
appearances. The external delights of the worldling 
are embittered by the most painful anguish of mind ; 
and the external mourning of the just is sweetened by the 
most enlivening interior consolations. The ark of Israel 
in the desert was covered with skins, and exhibited a 
mean and uncouth appearance. In the same manner, 
the man of piety not unfrequently appears despicable 
in the eyes of the world ; but were you to look into his 
interior, you would see that it is covered, like the ark, 
with the pm'est gold ; you would perceive that it is 
filled with the glory of the Lord ; you would be ravished 
with the sweetness of the perf ames of prayer, which con- 
stantly ascend from the inflamed altar of his heart ; you 
would admire the silence, the peace, the grandeur, that 
reign there undisturbed : in a word, you would be con- 
vinced that the Lord has chosen it for his abode, and 
that it is his delight to dwell therein.^' 

It is, then, a truth founded upon the vvord of God, that 
a Christian life is a happy one, and that there is no true, 
no solid happiness, but in observing his divine law. 
This truth is also proved by experience. We can cite 
a.n unsuspected witness, St. Augustine, who, before his 
conversion, had for many years lived in forgetfulness 
of God, and in the gratification of his passions. Being 
at length converted, see how he expresses himself in his 
Confessions: "My God, Thou hast broken my bonds j 
may my heart and tongue forever praise Thee, for hav- 



344 DUTIES OF A CB[EISTIA:Nr. 

ing made me take up thy light burden, and carry thy 
sweet yoke. How sweet on a sudden did it become to 
me to be without the sweets of those toys ! and what I 
was before afraid to lose, I now cast from me with joy 5 
for Thou, who art the true and sovereign sweetness, hast 
expelled them from me ; and in lieu of them, Thou hast 
taken up thy abode in my soul, imparting to it pleasures 
sweeter than any known to flesh and blood j brighter 
than any light w^hatever, but more interior than any 
secret ; higher than any dignity whatever, but not to those 
who are high in their own conceit. I^ow was my mind 
free from the annopng cares of the ambition of honor, 
of the acquisition of riches, and of weltering in pleasures, 
and my infant tongue began to lisp to Thee, my God, 
my true honor, my riches, and my salvation." 

A life of sin and disorder is a cruel slavery, in which 
one is torn by continual inquietude j a virtuous life is, 
on the contrary, an unfailing source of tranquillity and 
consolation. We must, it is true, do violence to our- 
selves, and resist our passions ; but this resistance costs 
little to the soul that loves God ; the sacrifices which we 
make are amply compensated by the testimony of a 
good conscience, and by the hope of eternal happiness, 
which replenishes the soul with joy. The experience of 
St. Augustine is also that of all who serve God with 
fidelity. And are not we ourselves acquainted with 
many of those happy souls who are truly faithful in the 
discharge of all their duties ? A pure and innocent joy, 
a simple and modest gaiety, accompany them every- 
where. The serenity of their soul is depicted on their 
countenance^ the profound calm which they enjoy, their 
peace of heart, are manifested in their exterior. Can 
we doubt that this calm, this peace, is the fruit of virtue ? 
But why refer to others'? Have you not experienced 
the happiness that attends the practice of virtue ? Recall 
the period of youth, w^hen, moved by di^dne grace, 
you humbly and penitently confessed your faults, and 
were admitted for the first time to the holy table ; did 
you not taste how sweet the Lord is to those who love 
Him ? On that happy day, yom' heart, disengaged from 



HAPPIITESS OF SEPvYINa GOD. 345 

its passions and pure in tlie divine sight, relished and 
thirsted after God alone. What joy then inundated 
your heart ! What serenity filled your soul ! What 
sweet tears did you not shed ! How ardently you desired 
to continue always in that blissful state ! Make the 
acknowledgment with gratitude ; render this just tribute 
to religion^ that you have never enjoyed moments so 
delicious, nor have ever spent a more delightful day. 
You then comprehended the force of this maxim, '^ In 
virtue alone is happiness to be found : '^ then you w^ere 
penetrated with sentiments like those which animated 
the prophet, when he said : Yes, my God, a single day 
passed in thy house, is tetter than entire years spent in 
the tabernacles of sinners. 

If you have preserved these sentiments of piety, this 
holy relish of virtue, bless the Lord ; for you wall easily 
comprehend what has been said on the happiness of a 
Christian life. If, on the contrary, virtue, w^hich for- 
merly possessed so many charms for you, appears now 
importunate and burdensome, lay the blame on your 
own infidelity in discharging its duties. Had you 
walked constantly in the way of God, you w^ould have 
enjoyed unalterable peace. There remains for you one 
resource ; namely, to take a generous resolution of 
observing exactly the law of the Lord, and of over- 
coming your repugnances at the outset. Return to 
your Father : a sigh disarms Him ; a tear appeases 
Him, You will soon feel in your soul those interior 
consolations and ineffable delights which constituted 
your happiness in the days of your innocence. 

Can any one be unhappy in serving Thee, my God ? 
Art Thou not the Source of every good ? No, Lord ; it 
cannot be ; for thy yoke is sweet and thy burden light.^^' 
Tliou hast created us for thyself, and never shall we 
find rest till w^e repose in Thee. In vain do I seek 
happiness out of Thee ; and what else have I yet found 
but deceitful perishable goods, which leave the heart 
empty ; or real evils, which fill it with bitterness and 
disgust? Thou hast said, O Lord! that 'Uhere is no 
^ Matt., xi, 30. 



346 DUTIES OF A CHEISTIAIT. 

peace to tlie wicked : '^* cutting remorse, continual 
alaiTQS, and consuming griefs are their only portion. 
He who caiTies iniquity in his bosom, carries with it 
terror and perturbation. But how different the lot of a 
soul that serves Thee, my God ! It is always tranquil, 
content, and happy. It has, no doubt, sacrifices to make, 
but the unction of thy grace renders these sacrifices 
easy and agreeable ; it has pains to endure, but these 
pains are scarcely felt in the midst of the consolations 
Thou bestowest on it. My God, I no longer hesitate 
to embrace a life of virtue, persuaded that such a life is 
far sweeter than that which sinners lead. I will be 
faithful in obser\dng thy holy laws, in the full confidence 
of attaining true happiness on earth, and that perfect 
felicity in heaven, which Thou reservest for those who 
lead a trulv Christian life. 



At a time when purple fever raged in Paris, and 
carried off great numbers of the poor before they could 
be removed to the hospitals, the priests of one of the 
parishes, not being sufficiently numerous to attend the 
dying, were obliged to call in the aid of the religious 
communities. A venerable Capuchin, who had offered 
himseK for the service, visited a miserable dwelling in 
which he beheld a victim of the contagion. He was 
an old man, stretched upon filthy rags ; a little hay 
was his only bed, no attendants, no furniture, not even 
a chair ; ever}i:hing had been sold, in the commence- 
ment of his illness, to purchase food. On the wall hung 
a picture of Christ crucified j and at a little distance, 
the hatchet and saw with which, whilst in health, he 
had procured a livelihood. ^^ Take com^ige, my friend,^^ 
said the confessor to him ; '•^ God grants you a great 
favor ; you are going to depart from a world in which 
you have had much to suffer." '-^ What sufferings % " 
replied the dying man, in a voice scai'cely articulate : — 
" You are deceived, reverend Father ; I have never had 
occasion to complain of my lot. My crucifix has been 
my consolation in the midst of my labors ; religion has 
* IsaiaS; xlviii; 22. 



HAPPINESS OF SERVrt^G GOD. 347 

' been my happiness ; I have, therefore, lived con- 
tentedly — poor, indeed, but always in health and in the 
fear of God, who has never left me destitute of neces- 
saries. O Father ! how amiable religion is ! how 
precious the treasures which she comprises ! — peace, 
content, and unalterable hapj)iness, are the portion of 
those who love her." The confessor, no less edified 
than astonished at sentiments so religious, gave God 
thanks, and then addressing the sick man, said : 
^^ Although your life has not been unhappy, you must 
be resigned to leave it." ^^Ah! Father," he replied, 
^^ we must all pass this way ; and I have no desire save 
that of being united to my God, whom I thank with all 
my heart for life and all his other benefits. But, 
Father, I feel my death approaching ; administer to me, 
if you please, the last sacraments." Having received 
them with sentiments of extraordinary devotion, he 
expired, leaving his confessor and all who had the 
happiness of being present, in admiration of the effects 
which religion produces in hearts which are docile to 
the inspiration and calls of divine grace. 



Exercises. — 1. What idea is frequently formed of a Christian 
life ? — 2. Show the falseness of this idea ? — 3. What promise does 
the Scripture make him who is faithful to the law of the Lord ? 
— 4. What must be done to lead a truly Christian life ? 



^^ To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, he honor 
and glory for ever and ever. Amen." — 1 Tim., i, 17. 

END OF THE DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN. 



APPENDIX. 



CHEISTIAN POLITENESS. 



INTEODUCTOEY CHAPTEE. 



SECTION I. 

G^EIN^EEAL 0BSERVATI0:NS. 

Politeness consists in ease and gracefulness of manners, united 
with a desire to please others^ and a careful attention to their 
wants and wishes. 

The Christian youth, at his entrance into society,- should be 
well instructed, not only in his religious duties, hut also in those 
duties of politeness, without which virtue itself loses much of its 
influence^ and learning, that respect to which it is so justly 
entitled. 

Created to the image of God, and hound to imitate a Redeemer, 
each of whose actions was distinguished by meekness and 
affability ; intended, also, to fulfil an important destiny on earth, 
the Christian should be animated with the most lively sentiments 
of benevolence towards men, while his conduct in their regard 
should ever be the faithful expression of his sentiments. If not 
possessed of that union of simplicity, meekness, and dignity, so 
characteristic of Christian manners, his deportment should, at 
least, be free from everything affected, rude, or repulsive. 

Parents, and those charged with the important office of educat- 
ing youth, should spare no pains to render their manners polite 
and engaging; and children, on their part, should not fail to 
correspond with every effort tending to their improvement in this 
department of their education. Both should remember, that in 
early life good habits can be most easily acquired, and that the 
impressions then received will most generally influence the con- 
duct and manners in after-life. The precepts of a good education 
may, indeed, in some instances, seem to have been forgotten; 
they may appear to exercise but little influence on a young man's 
sentiments and conduct; but it is not difficult to discern, even in 
the midst of his gTeatest irregularities and excesses, the good 
effects of those lessons of virtue and politeness which he learned 
in childhood. 



CHKISTIAN^ POLITENESS. 349 

This little treatise is intended to assist young persons in form- 
ing their manners in accordance with the rules of decorum and 
the received usages of civilized life. It is divided into two parts : 
the first treats of what relates to external appearance; the second 
contains instructions on the more ordinary actions of life ; namely, 
rising; retiring to rest^ meals^ conversation^ amusement, &c. 
All these require distinct rules and the most marked attention, 
that everything may be done in order, and that our daily actions, 
corresponding, in the motive and the manner of performing 
them, with the designs of God, may ultimately tend to the 
perfection of our being. 

Cleanliness of person renders us agreeable to others ; it pro- 
motes cheerfulness, and is an excellent preservative of health. 
It also bears a great analogy to purity of mind, and naturally 
inspires refined sentiments. These reasons alone should be suffi- 
cient to induce young persons to practise what they are taught 
on a subject of such paramount importance. 

Sleep is necessary to our existence, but it should be taken at 
suitable times, and with due moderation; for, when it is either 
unseasonable or excessive, it becomes injurious to mind and 
body. 

Food should be proportioned to our constitution and necessities. 
Excessive indulgence in its use, particularly if habitual, is dis- 
pleasing to God, and is sure to be attended with sleepiness, 
stupidity, and loss of health. Children, particularly, require 
instruction on this matter, as, not foreseeing the evil consequences, 
they often yield to the present gratification of their appetite. 

Man is born for society — to live and converse with his fellow- 
men. He should, therefore, in his conversation, in the visits 
which he receives and pays, and, finally, in all the circumstances 
in which he may be placed, know well all the duties which 
good-breeding, reason, and religion prescribe. These duties are, 
prudence in manners ; circumspection in discourse ; honesty of 
purpose ; due regard for equals and superiors ; patience and 
meekness in dealing with persons of peevish or unmanageable 
temper; unifornv., charity on trying occasions; a constant care to 
avoid wounding either the reputation of the absent by malicious 
calumnies or disadvantageous reports, or the modesty of those 
present by ill-timed praise or sickening adulation ; an exact 
guard upon our eyes ; a great restraint on the tongue ; and the 
flight of whatever might infringe, in the slightest degree, the 
sacred law of charity. Such is an abstract of the virtues to 
which, from infancy, the young should be trained by those to 
whose care they are entrusted. These virtues should be so 
deeply imprinted on the memory and heart, tliat they may be 
instantly called into action, as occasion may require. 

Although man, without exception of rank or condition, is ir- 
revocably doomed to labor, yet the Lord, ever equitable in liis 
decrees, permits him to take the recreation necessary to recruit 
his strength and maintain his vigor. It should, however, be 



350 CHRISTIAN POLITENESS. 

commensurate with his wants ; for were it to degenerate into 
sloth or dissipation, it would be opposed to the will of God and 
might, moreover, prove a fruitful source of sin. On a subject, 
therefore, so little understood bj a perverse and sinful world, it 
is of great consequence to give detailed lessons to young people, 
who are naturally inclined to amusement and, but too frequently, 
want discretion and moderation in its use. 



SECTION 11. 

NECESSITY A]ST) ADVANTAGES OF POLITENESS. 

"When Michael Angelo had been several days employed on a 
statue, giving what he termed a slight degree of grace to one 
limb and of energy to another, a gentleman remarked to him 
that these were trifles, and unworthy of so much attention. 
" Trifles, certainly,'^ he replied; ^'but trifles make perfection, 
and perfection is no trifle." This observation may be fitly ap- 
plied to politeness, which consists of a series of little things, such 
as a look, the tone of the voice, a kind word, an obliging action, 
an air of satisfaction and of gratitude for kindness received, and 
a number of considerate attentions, which can be better felt than 
described. Though these, taken singly, may, perhaps, appear 
trifling, yet, in the aggregate, they form the characteristics of 
true politeness. 

The source of true politeness is the heart, in which there must 
exist a great degi^ee of good will to men, and a sincere desire 
to promote their happiness. Politeness, when practised in 
early life, becomes a habit, and its exercise, like that of 
other habits, will be easy and agreeable. It should begin under 
the paternal roof, and be cultivated in the daily intercourse of 
domestic life. There the passions, as they gradually arise, can 
be placed under due restraint ; the kindly feelings can best and 
most frequently be exercised, the constant interchange of good 
offices encouraged ; and the manners formed to gentleness and 
courtesy. 

The child who, in the retirement of home, acts towards his 
parents with reverence and love, and towards his brothers and 
sisters with kindness and afi'ection ; who seeks opportunities of 
rendering them little services, and feels regret when he cannot 
contribute to their comfort and happiness ; who never indulges 
anger, moroseness, or incivility, but is uniformly mild, amiable, 
and obliging, — will find it easy to act, on all occasions, towards 
others also with sweetness and aflJability. He, on the contrary, 
who is wont to act with rudeness and incivility in the bosom of 
his family, T^-ill never possess that amiable and generous dispo- 
sition, nor those polite and engaging manners, which, in the 
intercourse of society, require to be unremittingly exercised. 



NECESSITY OE POLITENESS. 351 

It is mentioned of a certain prelate^ remarkable for his meek 
and elegant demeanor, that^ in the retirement of honie^ and in 
his intercourse with his domestic>s, he preserved, even in his 
least actions, the same meekness and courtesy which marked his 
conduct in public. Hence, he was never surprised, but on every 
occasion and in every place acted with such singular graceful- 
ness and benignity, as commanded the respect and won the 
esteem of all who approached him. What a lesson for the young 
to accustom themselves at home to the duties they must discharge 
abroad ; never to act rudely or ill-naturedly, nor suffer an un- 
kind look, an angry or offensive word, to escape them ; and to 
be careful never to permit the charming familiarity of domestic 
life to degenerate, as it not unfrequently does, into neglect, 
rudeness, or incivility ! They should remember, that no courtesy, 
however great, can be sincere or lasting, if the love of God, and 
a view to Him, be not its primary object. He who, in early 
life, learns to regard God and his good pleasure in every act of 
kindness he performs, will gradually be strengthened in love for 
others, and will be prompted, even under discouraging circum- 
stances, to render them a number of affectionate services. 

There are two things extremely prejudicial to politeness, and 
which, if indulged, would prove fatal to its exercise. The first 
of these is selfishness. The continual preference of others ; the 
unremitting attention to please without embarrassing ; the self- 
government necessary to restrain the heart and tongue under 
circumstances of provocation ; the yielding with a good grace, to 
humors and caprices ; and the multitude of little sacrifices which 
politeness demands, appear intolerable to him who never thinks 
but of self and its gratification, and who is a stranger to the de- 
light that emanates from the consciousness of having communi- 
cated pleasure. To the generous mind, such sacrifices become 
sources of pleasure, and seldom fail to obtain many grateful 
returns from the objects of his attention. 

The second is moroseness of temper. A cheerful disposition is 
^ne of the greatest blessings ; it imparts sunshine wherever it 
appears. It not only contributes to the happiness of its possessor, 
but diffuses joy and happiness around him. Hoav gloomy the 
condition of the house from which, through the angry, vehement, 
or dissatisfied disposition of some of its members, cheerfuhiess is 
entirely banished ! Peace, union, and good feeling cannot be 
inmates of such a dwelling ; mutual coldness, estrangement, and 
perhaps aversion, become its occupants; and the domestic hearth, 
which should be the centre of light, love, and happiness, about 
which all should gather in cheerfid and affectionate festivity, 
becomes an object of gloom and disaffection. 

A young person never should indulge a passion or a feeling 
which would occasion or increase so deplorable an evil. If, 
unfortunately, he had not in childhood been trained to gentleriess 
and piety, and finds his temper headstrong and violent, lie sliould 
not, on that account, despair of its reformation. As there is no 



352 CHEISTIA]Sr P0LITE1S"ESS. 

disposition naturally so good^ as not to be susceptible of 
improvement, so there is not one so decidedly bad, as not to 
admit of being restrained and moderated. He who said to the 
waves. '^Be still/' and w"h<jse voice they instantly obeyed, is 
ever ready to assist, with his grace, those who are desirous of 
quelling the tumult of passion. When evil propensities are 
judiciously governed and corrected, they usually become means 
of sanctification. 

Persons of the most ardent and impetuous temperaments have, 
by the grace of God, and their own care and watchfulness, 
become models of meekness, moderation, and sanctity. Of the 
youthful Duke of Burgundy, we are told by his biographer, that 
^' he was born terrible, and, during his first years, continued an 
object of terror : that he was hard-hearted; irascible to the ex- 
treme of passion, even against inanimate objects ; impetuous to a 
degree of fury ; incapable of bearing the least opposition to his 
wishes, even from time or climate, without putting himself into 
paroxysms of rage that made others tremble for their existence ; 
stubborn in the highest degree, and passionate in the pursuit of 
every kind of pleasure ; that he considered other men as atoms, 
to whom he bore no resemblance, and regarded even his brothers, 
although they were educated on an equality with himself, as 
intermediate beings between him and the rest of mankind. '^ 
^' But,'' adds the w^riter, '' the prodigy was, that, in a short space 
of time, under the care of Fenelon, religion and the grace of God 
made him a new man, and changed those bad qualities into the 
opposite virtues. From the abyss which I have described, there 
arose an affable, gentle, moderate, patient, modest prince, austere 
only to himself, observant of his duties, and sensible of their 
great extent. His only object seemed to be, to perform all his 
duties as a son and a subject, and to qualify himself for the 
discharge of future obligations." 

Madame de Maintenon speaks in a similar manner : — " We 
saw all those defects, which in the youth of the Duke of Burgundj^ 
alarmed us so much, gradually disappear. His virtue kept pace 
with his years ; and so much had his piety changed him, that, 
from being the most passionate of men, he became mild, gentle, 
and complying ; one would have thought that mildness was his 
natural disposition, and that he was innately good." 

St. Francis of Sales w^as of so ardent a temperament, that, to 
subdue it, he assures us, it cost him twelve years' struggle : and 
yet his meekness became such that it always appeared on his 
invariably serene countenance. His mien was so inexpressibly 
amiable and benign, that, as we are assured by his contemporary, 
St. Vincent of Paul, he might be regarded as the living image 
of our Blessed Redeemer. 

The rudeness of others should not prevent us from exerei^i^ig 
politeness towards them. To treat them politely is the best 
means of triumphing over ourselves, and very frequently, of 
reforming them ; whjist it secures to us that int€ri<wt^ peace which 



NECESSITY OF POLITENESS. 353 

always flows from the consciousness of having performed an 
action, at once opposed to the false maxims of corrupt nature, 
and in accordance with the dictates of religion. 

In a certain family there was one of a very disohliging disposi- 
tion, who would not put himself to the slightest inconvenience, or 
make the least sacrifice to ohlige. He seemed so entirely en- 
grossed with his own little gratifications as to be quite insensible 
to the feelings or convenience of others. Another member of the 
family, of a very religious and affectionate disposition, resolved 
to effect his reform. He availed himself of every opportunity to 
oblige him, anticipated his most trifling wants, even sought 
occasions of contributing to his convenience. A great change 
was soon visible ; acts of kindnesses began to be exercised ; the 
disposition to do them was gradually acquired ; and this unaccom- 
modating individual became afterwards I'emarkable in the family 
for his polite attentions. The person who had made the experi- 
ment, was amply compensated by the general good feeling which 
the change produced, and by the great kindness which he after- 
wards received from the individual whose disobliging manners he 
had thus been instrumental in correcting. 

To acquire habits of politeness, then, a person must begin in 
youth — under the eyes of his mother. He must cultivate a deep 
reverence for parents ; a sincere affection for relatives and friends ; 
gentleness and courtesy to equals ; affability to inferiors ; cheer- 
fulness of mind ; a desire to please and oblige ; a gentle, amiable, 
engaging manner of acquitting himself of every domestic duty. 
He must do all this, with a view of God, and an intention of 
pleasing Him. Such a person will not, when he enters society, 
disgust by rude or unbecoming manners ; but will, wherever he 
may be placed, find the exercise of politeness easy and agreeable; 
will secure for himself the respect of all who witness his con- 
duct; and, what is infinitely better, he will, by the exalted motive 
of his actions, obtain the blessing and approbation of Heaven. 

This chapter cannot be more appropriately concluded than by 
the following extract from the description of our divine Re<leemer, 
in his intercourse with his Apostles, by a Father of the Society 
of Jesus: — ^^ They were men, for the most part, without educa- 
tion, good-breeding, or politeness ; yet never did he separate 
himself from them, never did he appear pained or dejected by 
their ill manners. He instructed them with patience, reprehended 
them with meekness, and gave them nothing to suffer. He lived 
with them on a kind of equality, always ready to serve them, 
and to receive their least services with such sweetness and 
affability, that hardly could it be perceived that he was the 
master." 



PAKT FIRST. 



OF MODESTY IN THE EXTERIOB. 



CHAPTEE I. 

01^ DEPOKTMEN^T. 

Nothing contributes more to exterior dignity and propriety of 
manners, than exactness in preserving the natural positions and 
motions of each part of the body ; so true it is^ as a late writer 
has very justly remarked^ that ^' gracefulness is to the body 
what good sense is to the mind." Young persons, especially, 
are very subject to defects, offensive alike to modesty and grace- 
fulness. The first of these is a silly affectation, which puts the 
body, as it were, upon the rack, and governs all its motions as 
if it were a piece of machinery. 

An artificially-measured step, accompanied with an air of 
affected gravity, is no less opposed to propriety than that careless- 
ness of manner which is the effect of sloth, or of low and vulgar 
sentiments. Persons of a hvely and impetuous temperament 
should watch over themselves with greater vigilance than others. 
Their posture in standing or sitting should be adjusted with 
thoughtfulness and decorum, and their gestures few but 
appropriate. 

It is not, however, meant that a young person should assume 
that grave and thoughtful air which is the companion of maturer 
years ; no more is required than that his deportment be modest, 
graceful, and reserved, yet without stiShess or affectation. 

There is a gravity of demeanor indicative of haughtiness, 
which, in any one, but particularly in a Christian, whose divine 
Model was ^^ meek and humble of heart," is reprehensible. The 
exalted idea of his spnitual origin and destiny, that every 
Christian should have, would impart to his conduct that sweet 
and amiable gravity which inspires respect and confidence. An 
air of elevation and dignity, when regulated by modesty, 
humility, and a feeling sense of what a Christian is, or, at least, 
ought to be, bears a relation to the dignity and majesty of God. 

K circumstances require a person to remain standing, he should 
not stoop, keep his head on one side, or lean indolently against 
the wall or the furniture. 

In sitting, he should, to preserve a graceful and agreeable 
position, select a high rather than a low chair. He should not 
throw his arm over the back of it, nor rest his elbow on the back 



THE DEPORTMENT. 355 

of another chair to support his head, nor swing himself in his chair 
in a balance. He should sit in rather an upright position, and 
not change his seat without necessity ; neither should he draw 
his chair with noise along the floor, nor place it in a situation 
inconvenient to those who leave or enter the apartment. 

It would be improper to select the handsomest chair in the 
room, or an armed chair, in preference to an ordinary one ; but 
if invited to either, he should take it without hesitation. To 
take such a chair, in the first case, would betray rudeness or self- 
importance ; to refuse it, in the second, would be questioning the 
judgment of the person who ofl'ered it. 

On entering an apartment, if there be many present, one should 
glance around to pay his regards to all, and having bowed, retire 
to the place assigned him, or to that which is most convenient. 
If on terms of intimacy, and that he finds it necessary to shake 
hands, he should first advance to the mistress of the house, then 
to the others, in the order of their rank. 

One should not stand while others are sitting, nor sit while 
they are standing. If the person who addresses another remains 
standing, the latter, if sitting, should rise, and not reply in a 
sitting posture, unless desired to do so. 

In meeting acquaintances in the street, they should never be 
addressed in so loud a tone of voice, that either their names or 
the nature of the conversation could be known by persons passing 
by. The same should be observed in shops and places of public 
resort. 

When a person, in company with another, meets a friend or an 
acquaintance, he should not introduce the parties to each other 
unless he has reason to believe that doing so would be mutually 
agreeable. The inferior in point of age or rank should be always 
introduced to the superior. 

Modes of salutation should be particularly attended to. With 
equals and inferiors, the most ordinary is a slight inclination of 
the head ; with equals on familiar terms, a gesture with the 
hand ; and with those who by their station or virtues are entitled 
to peculiar respect, a touching or raising of the hat. This last 
mode is that which is usual when meeting a clergyman. The 
exalted dignity to which he has been raised, and the reverence 
and love which we feel for that Almighty Being whose ambas- 
sador he is, should inspire us with veneration for his person ; and 
this interior feeling should, on every suitable occasion, be 
accompanied by its appropriate exterior expression. 

Children should be instructed never to fail in this tribute of 
respect and reverence. So long as they respect religion, so long 
Avill they respect its minister. When they cease to respect him, 
they soon begin to disrespect religion also ; and as it is hardly 
possible to feel interior respect without manifesting it exteriorly, 
80 these sentiments will soon be extinguished within us, if their 
exterior expression be habitually jjisregarded. 



356 CHRISTIAIT POLITE]^ESS. 

CHAPTER II. 

OF THE HEAD. 

The head should be kept erect ; it should uot be turned giddily 
from side to side. When engaged in conversation^ we should 
pay particular attention to the regulation of its motions. 

In presenting or receiving anything, we should make a slight 
inclination with the head. 

We should never answer by a nod of the head the questions 
that are put to us, nor testify indifference or contempt by a 
gesture of this description. 

Putting the hand to the head, or touching the hair, particularly 
at table, should be avoided ; and children, when guilty of any 
rudeness in this respect, should be admonished not to repeat it. 

The ears should be kept perfectly clean; but they should 
never be cleaned in presence of others. 

The hair should be combed and brushed every morning both as 
a part of external cleanliness and as a means of its preservation ; 
but it should be remembered, that though a moderate and be- 
coming attention to the hair is necessary, yet too much care of it, 
or excessive precision in its adjustment, is inconsistent with 
Christian or religious modesty. 



CHAPTER III. 

or THE COITNTElJTAlSrCE. 

The VTise man says, that a man of sense is known by the 
expression of his countenance. ^^ It is,^' says an ancient writer^ 
^' the mirror of the soul, the attestation of modesty, or the 
witness of the corruption of the heart." When our conduct is 
actuated by amiable and benevolent sentiments, the comitenance 
is an object of edification. To render it agreeable to others, it 
must have nothing in its expression either severe or repulsive ; 
nothing wild or ferocious ; nothing indicative either of levity or 
ostentation. It should exhibit an amiable gravity, a pure, 
disinterested benevolence, a calm and thoughtful serenity, free 
from gloom and despondency on the one hand, and from frivolity 
or dissipation on the other. 

The expression of the countenance should, however, be 
varied according to the circumstances in which one may be 
placed, or the persons with whom one may converse. It would 
evidently be improper, nay, offensive, to jest and laugh whilst 
speaking to persons in affliction ; to address them in a gay or 
joyous tone ; or to converse with them on some sorrowful event 
with an an* of indifference. It would be equally improper, when 



THE coui^te:n"aisce. 357 

the conversation turns on amusing or agreeable subjects^ to 
assume a thoughtful or melancholy air. 

With regard to his personal affairs^ the trulj wise person 
preserves^ as much as possible^ a serene countenance. As 
he recognises the will of the Almighty in all events, and humbly 
submits to his ever- wise and equitable decrees^ so his countenance 
always bespeaks that calm and peaceful submission which reigns 
in his soul. The countenance must, and indeed will^ give 
expression to different sensations of the soul ; but the man of 
sense and virtue possesses sufficient self-command to observe due 
moderation in any manifestation of his sorrowful or joyous 
feelings. 

Nothing is more painful, particularly to those who are obliged 
to live and converse with him, than a man whose countenance 
expresses gaiety at one moment and ill-humor at another. Such 
instability is a proof that he suffers himself to be easily borne 
away by the tumult of his passions, that he possesses little good 
sense or solid virtue, and has little regard for the feelings or 
happiness of those around him. Such persons make themselves 
the plague of their children and domestics, instead of being models 
for their imitation, and guardians placed over them for their 
comfort and protection. 

"When in the presence of persons whose age, virtue, or station, 
merits particular veneration or respect, the countenance should 
express those feelings, without, however, any childish timidity, 
which is ordinarily the mark of a weak mind or of an ignorance 
of the qualities which Christian modesty should possess. With 
our friends we should alway preserve a gay and cheerful counte- 
nance, in order to promote their happiness and render conversation 
more easy and agreeable. Persons with whom we are but 
slightly acquainted, w^ho are placed above us in station, or w^hose 
character may not be sufficiently known to us, should be treated 
with a respectful, yet cheerful reserve, and care taken not to act 
towards them with a familiarity wdiich may not be agreeable to 
them, or beconnng in us. 

Whatever be a young man's station in life, he should endeavor, 
by the faithful discharge of its duties, to render himself worthy 
of esteem. He should exhibit a manly independence, by not 
forcing himself on the attention of those who may consider 
themselves his superiors in rank, or who do not desire his 
acquaintance. 

Young persons have often been injured, and their prospects in 
life blighted, by mixing with those of more elevated station ; 
the inevitable consequences of which are, neglect of business, 
lavish expenditure, and, ultimately, poverty and degradation. 
A young man who lives in the bosom of his family, whose acquaint- 
ance is limited, and who attends industriously to the business of 
his calling, possesses more real hap})iness, and Jays the foundation 
of agreater share of future comfort and prosperity, than association 
with those of a higher order of intellect or more exalted position 



358 CHRISTIA]^?" POLITENESS. 

in life, could possibly procure. Virtue and happiness are pre- 
served and protected in the one case ; in the other they are 
but too frequently shipwrecked. 

Before concluding this chapter, it may not be unimportant to 
remind those children for whose use it is intended, that cleanli- 
ness, especially of the face, should be attended to. In speaking 
of the countenance, it may not be observed, that the habitual 
sense of the presence of God, besides the spiritual advantages 
which it produces, has a considerable influence in moulding its 
expression ; for he who is duly sensible of that presence, must, 
according to the remark of one of the saints, feel that all the 
days of his life are festive days with him, because he considers 
himself as living in God, '' in whom we live, move, and have our 
being/^ He blends seriousness with joy, by the consciousness 
of God's continual presence ; and he blends joy with seriousness, 
by the firm and lively hope that he is every moment receiving 
new graces and blessings. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE couNTEE'ANCE [continued). 

We should avoid wrinkling the forehead. A wrinkled fore- 
head is often the mark of a melancholy temper, or of a haughty 
soul that despises those whom it considers its inferiors. Children 
should be admonished to repress every sentiment of pride, and 
never to sufier the least symptom of so dangerous a vice to 
appear. They should be occasionally reminded that the poorest 
of God's creatures have been created by the same Almighty Being, 
and for the same high destiny as themselves ; that they have 
been redeemed with the same precious blood of an Incarnate God, 
and that we should regard them as our brethren on earth, our 
future co-heirs in Heaven, and as the representatives of Him who 
considers as done to Himself, the good or evil done to them. If 
this just and salutary reflection were deeply impressed on the 
mind and heart of young people, the contempt and supercilious- 
ness with which they sometimes treat their poorer fellow-being 
would never disgrace their conduct. How much would the sum 
of human happiness be increased, if such sentiments received the 
attention to which they are entitled ! 

The most beautiful ornament of the countenance is modesty. 
It is one of the most distinguishing characteristics of a servant 
of God. '^Let your modesty be known to all men," says the 
Apostle ; " the Lord is nigh." This modesty in the truly 
virtuous Christian suff'uses the face with a certain tinge, which 
an ancient writer terms, " the hue of virtue." When the heart 
pure and upright, the least unseemly word or action causes a 



THE COUNTEIi^ANCE. 359 

blush — a manifestation of that delicacy of feeling of which the 
impious and obdurate are not susceptible. 

Although the Gospel counsels us to turn the right cheek to him 
who strikes the left, yet no one should be so infatuated as to strike 
his neighbor, under the pretext that he ought to suffer it with 
patience. A blow on the face is, of all affronts, one of the most 
insulting; it is the effect of uncontrolled anger, of mean revenge. 
He who is struck, should not, however, avenge the wrong by a 
similar insolence, no matter what the world may think to say. 
He should remember that his divine Master was struck on the 
face, and was, during the whole course of his passion, the object 
of blasphemy, contumely, and unheard of outrages. He 
should remember that the noblest revenge of a Christian is to 
bear injuries with patience, and to pardon those who insult him ; 
thus imitating the adorable Model of the elect, who prayed for his 
enemies, and in death recommended them to the mercy of his 
Eternal Father. We cannot, indeed, always be master of the 
first impulses of passion, but we can, by habitual watchfulness 
and restraint, forbear any action inconsistent with the spirit and 
maxims of the Gospel. 

Eevenge was regarded even by the sages of antiquity as a 
violent and malignant passion; and its indulgence, a proof of 
cowardice and imbecility, rather than as a mark of courage or 
magnanimity. 

In pardoning an injury, we may convert an enemy into a 
friend ; but if we fail in this, we shall at least feel the happy 
consciousness of having sacrificed resentment to duty, and 
performed a deed worthy the applause of all good men, and 
deserving the approbation of God and his angels. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE COUNTEliTANCE {cOnUflUed). 

In Holy Writ, the eyes are called the windows of the soul, be- 
cause its various feelings and emotions are easily discernible 
through them. Their movements should, therefore, be regulated 
with special care. The looks of the modest and humble are ever 
mild, peaceful, and reserved : those of the proud and overbearing 
are insolent and haughty. 

To turn the eyes lightly from side to side without fixing them 
on anything, is a sign of a giddy and unstable character. Good 
sense and politeness equally forbid this fault. Some look at au 
object with a kind of vacant gaze. ^ This may happen when the 
mind is preoccupied with some important affair ; but in most 
cases it is an indication of a mind habitually distracted, and, 
therefore, incapable of attending for any length of time to any 
specific object. 



360 CHRISTIAN POLITENESS. • 

Some persons when in affliction look fixedly on the ground, 
and appear unconscious of what takes place around them. How 
just soever the cause of their grief may be, they should not in- 
dulge such an objectionable manifestation of it : to do so argues 
a state of excessive dejection and mental weakness, unbeseeming 
in persons instructed in the truths and maxims of the Gospel. 
To look over the shoulder, to distort the eyes in order to excite 
laughter, to stare boldly at others, are all great improprieties ; 
but to fix the eyes on any object calculated to sully that purity of 
mind and heart w^hich forms the Christian's richest treasure, 
would be contrary not only to propriety, but also to the spirit of 
Christian and religious modesty. 

He who is truly grateful for the gift of sight, who often re- 
flects on its sublime destiny hereafter, namely, the vision of God 
^^face to face, and as He is,'' will be far from making use of this 
precious gift to offend its bountiful Giver. He will, on the con- 
trary, use it as a means of serving Him with the utmost fidelity, 
and of elevating his mind to the contemplation of that bright and 
everlasting vision of which He has promised it the enjoyment. 
The sight of the hea\^ens, the earth, the sea, a flower, will remind 
him of his glorious Benefactor, and raise his soul to Him in 
transports of love, gratitude, and admiration. Happy is he who, 
from an early period of life, has learned to make every object 
in creation a means of more closely uniting him with his Creator. 



CHAPTER VI. 

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS ON THE COUNTENANCE. 

Young persons should be provided with a pocket-handkerchief 
as soon as they are able to use one. This will prevent those 
improprieties, particularly snufiling, into which their age and 
thoughtlessness render them liable to fall. 

In the use of their pocket-handkerchiefs, many persons offend 
against propriety. Some Avave them about,- others keep them 
constantly in their hands, and frequently let them fall on the 
ground; others laj^ them on chairs, tables, and other articles of 
furniture. All these faults should be avoided. The pocket- 
handkerchief should be seen as little as possible; it should be 
kept in the pocket, and taken out only when necessary. It 
should be used silently, without violent action of the hands, and 
returned immediately to its place. 

Care should be taken not to handle the pocket-handkerchief 
of another. Should he let it fall, you may notify him, but you 
should not reach it to him. K the pocket-handkerchief be used 
immediately before entering an apartment it will frequently hap- 
rien that there will be no need to use it during one's stay, unless 
it be of long continuance. 



THE COUKTEl!^AKCE. 361 

Every effort should be made to avoid yawning in company. 
Indeed it would be better to retire^ than by yawning to give per- 
sons to understand that one is weary of their society. 

When sneezing or coughing, one should take care, by the 
intervention of his hand or pocket-handkerchief, to prevent his 
saliva from falling on any person or on any article of furniture. 
It is rude to spit on the floor, or into the fire, or even on the foot- 
ways in the streets. To spit on the floor in church is irreverent 
as well as rude. These faults have been committed by persons 
who, from their age and station, should have known better ; but 
being faults, they should, notwithstanding, be avoided. 

Young persons should be admonished against the practice of 
smoking, which is but too common with young men when they 
begin to associate with one another. Neither, as a general rule, 
should they take snuff. Habits of this kind are seldom over- 
come, and are sometimes, particularly smoking, productive of 
much inconvenience to the individual himself, and to those who, 
from a sense of duty, cannot withdraw from his company. 

The mouth should be kept in its natural position, and should 
be rinsed with clean water every morning. Nothing should be 
taken which would render the breath disagreeable to others. 
The lips are frequently disfigured by biting, distorting, or com- 
pressing them ; by raising them too much, or pulling them with 
the fingers. The teeth are frequently injured, either by neglect- 
ing to clean them, or by cleansing them- with what is unfit for 
that purpose. They should be washed every day with water 
and a soft brush, and not picked with a pin or penknife. The 
end of a quill pointed bluntly may be used with safety ; but it 
should be remembered that the teeth should never be picked at 
table. Children should avoid biting their nails ; also cutting 
things with their teeth, and making trial of their power by bend- 
ing or lifting things with them. 

It would not be proper to close this chapter without allusion 
to a fault very prevalent among children, and which often 
accompanies them into advanced life, namely, filling the mouth 
greedily with large portions of food, so as, in some instances, to 
be unable to breathe without difiiculty. This practice is at once 
contrary to politeness and injurious to health. 

Another fault of a similar character, is that of making an 
unnecessary disagreeable noise with the lips in drinking tea, 
coffee, or other liquids. This rudeness is a certain mark of a 
neglected domestic education. 



CHAPTER VII. 

OF ARTICULATION. 

It is difficult to understand those Avhose utterance is indistinct, 
or who speak in too low a tone of voice, or too rapidly. In 

16 



362 CHRISTIAN POLITEJ^ESS. 

speaking on any subject, we should remember that our object is 
to be heard and understood. A person should, therefore, assume 
a tone and manner of speaking suited to the place and audience. 
Too high a tone is indicative of arrogance ; and too low a tone 
betrays childishness and timidity. Avoid both extremes. 

Whilst excessive loudness of voice is generally regarded as 
characteristic of an overbearing disposition, politeness equally 
condemns that effeminacy of tone which is so common with the 
youth of our days. It is mconsistent alike with true dignity and 
elegance, and is an evident sign of the most pitiful foppery, or of 
great intellectual weakness. 

Those whose utterance is defective, should endeavor to remedy 
it in early life. A little care at that period will enable them to 
overcome every defect which does not proceed from organic 
weakness or derangement : but, if suffered to become a habit, it 
will be almost impossible to correct it. One general rule for 
improvement is, to select the words and syllables most difficult 
of pronunciation, and continue to repeat them frequently. The 
power over them will increase almost insensibly^ and the defect 
will soon be eradicated. 

Reading aloud for a short time each day to some one capable 
of correcting you, or, not havmg such a person, reading aloud 
alone, and Avatching carefrilly the words and syllables whieh you 
are apt to pronounce incorrectly or indistinctly, is an excellent 
means of remedying defective articulation. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

OE THE BODY I:N" EEEEREXCE TO ITS ATTITUDES, ETC. 

Many yomig persons Avhen walking stoop so much, that they 
resemble the aged or the feeble. The posture of the body should 
be erect, the shoulders square, and the chest expanded. In 
walking the arms should not be swung too much ; nor should 
they hang stiffly by the side. Their motion should be moderate, 
and the whole carriage easy, natural and unconstrained. To 
lean on the elbow when speaking or listening, to push any one with 
it, or to turn away with a shrug of the shoulders from one who 
comes to address you. are all contrary to good manners. There 
are many ways of ridding yourself of troublesome or importunate 
persons without having recourse to rudeness. Politeness and 
urbanity should at all times be observed; and while you 
discreetly avoid the company of those with whom you do not 
wish to associate, and rid yourself of it Avhen they would force 
it upon you, yet you should do so without, if possible, wounding 
their feelings. This is in accordance with the spirit of religion, 
and also with that principle of self-respect by which the Christian 
should, on all occasions, be actuated. 

The hands should be washed every morning ; also before meals, 
and whenever anvthinof has soiled them. A child should not, 



ATTITUDES OF THE BODY. 363 

after having washed them, wipe them with his dress, or with 
anything not destined for that purpose. 

A person should never reach his hand to be shaken by a 
superior in rank, unless they be on terms of intimacy ; otherwise 
he might seem to transgress the bounds of due reserve. If the 
superior reach his hand, it, should, of course, be respectfully and 
cordially receive. Some reach their hands coldly ; others offer 
but two or three fingers ; this savors of haughtiness. In giving 
the hand, as in everything else, cordiality should be apparent. 
You will spare the feelings more by not offering it, than by doing 
so with coldness and reserve ; but roughness is to be avoided. 

The shaking of hands is an outward expression of affection and 
good will ; and, hence, it should ever be the exponent of those 
feelings, not the dictate of policy or dissimulation. 

It is impolite to point at the person you speak of, whether he 
is near or distant ; to pull the the fingers one after another ; and 
to move them continually, or to make a crackling noise with 
them. 

The nails should be kept clean, but they must never be cleaned 
in company. They should not be cut down below the finger- 
ends, nor should the flesh at their roots be allowed to cover the 
white semicircle at the bottom of them. 

When sitting, a person should assume an easy, graceful 
posture, without formality or affectation. He should sit steadily 
on his chair, with the knees not too close nor too far asunder, 
with the feet modestly disposed of, without being stretched out, 
or drawn in so close under his chair as to cause tiie knees to 
project ; neither should he rest them on the rungs of the chairs, 
nor make a noise with them on the floor. 

When standing, the feet should be turned out a little, the 
heels separated somewhat from each other. They should not be 
often moved from one position to another ; but the position may, 
for the sake of greater ease, be occasionally changed. 

Many, in walking, drag their feet after them in a slovenly 
manner; others walk on their toes, whilst othei's twirl on their 
heels in a rather ludicrous manner. Although it would be hard 
to prescribe methods of walking suited to all, one general rule 
for young persons might be, to raise the instep a little, Avhich has 
the effect of stiffening the knee,, and placing the shoulders in a 
graceful position. The step should not be too long, nor yet 
affectedly short. The pace should be moderate, without any 
notable haste, unless the nature of a person's occupation, or the 
business he has to transact, requires it. Dignity of carriage and 
manners should, at all times, be preserved. 

In conclusion, it may be well to inculcate upon all, but especi- 
ally upon the young, the necessity of washing their feet at stated 
times, and of changing their stockings when soiled, as there is 
nothing more disagreeable than the consequence of neglect in 
one or other of these particulars. Attention to them, on the 
other hand, is productive of the most salutary eflects. 



PART SECONO. 



OF DECORUM IN ORDINARY ACTIONS. 



CHAPTER I. 
msnsTG Ai!TD Goi:N'a to rest. 

Children should be deeply impressed with the many advan- 
tages attending early rising. It is one of the best economists of 
time ; it promotes the health of both body and mind, and greatly 
assists in the formation of moral and industrious habits. Sleep, 
when indulged to excess, impairs both physical and mental 
energy, interferes with the regular and efficient discharge of 
duty, and destroys all relish for enjoyments, except those of a 
coarse and, often, dangerous character. Hence, a fixed hour for 
rising, and also for retiring to rest, should be appointed, from 
which there should be no deviation^ unless health or some other 
necessity require it.* 

The sluggard seldom^ if ever, prospers in business, or attains 
any degree of eminence in his profession ; while those who have 
been remarkable for a healthy old age, or for great intellectual 
acquirements, have generally acknowledged, that they have been 
in a great measure indebted for these advantages to their regu- 
larity in the distribution of time, and to their early rising. 
Seven or eight hours' rest is as much as nature usually requires ; 
and it should be remembered^ that a difference of two hours each 
day in the time of rising, would, in the ordinary average of 
human life, be equivalent to nearly ten years ; and would, as 
has been well observed, " add ten years to a man's really useful 
existence." 

Man, whatever may be his station, is born to labor. The 
dawning of day should remind him of this appendage of mortality. 
How often is the order of nature subverted ! A large portion of 
the day is given to sleep, whilst almost the entire night is spent 
in foolish and often criminal amusements, to the manifest injury 
of health, and what is infinitely worse, the neglect of every 
religious duty. 

The first thing that should be done by a Christian on awaking, 
is to make an offering of his thoughts, words^ actions, and entire 

* An aged gentleman who had never known a day's illness, having been 
asked his secret, replied, " Dry feet and aarly rising ; these are my only 
two precautions." " - 



DKESSING AND mSTDRESSLN^a. 365 

being, to the great Author of his existence, by a fervent act of 
oblation, and with faith and humility to beg his blessing and 
protection during the day. He should then rise modestly, and 
never at this time converse with others, or occupy his mind with 
distracting concerns. To give the first moments of the day to 
dissipation of mind, would be unworthy a child of God, whose 
first thoughts should be consecrated to recollection and piety. 

When clothed, he should place himself on his knees, and 
having recalled the presence of God, say devoutly his morning 
prayers ; nor should he ever permit either business or amusement 
to interfere with so holy and essential a duty. A Christian should 
never satisfy himself with a few prayers said hurriedly while 
dressing. God deserves and demands the homage of all our 
powers and afiections. Whoever entertains an exalted idea of 
the majesty of God, renders Him this tribute with corresponding 
exterior and interior reverence. 

On retiring to rest, children should respectfully salute their 
parents and the elder members of the family. This act of polite- 
ness, besides being a duty, is an excellent means of preserving 
that good feeling which should subsist in the bosom of every 
family, and on which its happiness so much depends. 

A Christian should never retire to rest without having adored 
God by humble prayer, thanked Him for his benefits, and im- 
plored his protection. He should examine his conscience ; beg 
pardon for the sins into which he has fallen during the day ; and 
firmly resolve, with God's grace, to spend the day following in a 
manner more worthy his dignity of child of God and heir of his 
heavenly kingdom. " The path of the just, as a shining light, 
goeth forwards, and increaseth even to perfect day.'' 



CHAPTER II. 

OF DUESSII^a AND UNDUESSING. 

One sensible effect of the sin of Adam, was the shame of being 
naked ; and it was only after his sin that he felt, for the first 
time, the necessity of clothing. God provided him with the 
skin of beasts as a garment, which served to remind him of the 
happy state of peace and innocence from which he had fallen. 
Inheritors of his crime, we are sharers in his punishment. We, 
too, must be provided with raiment — a necessity which never 
Avould have existed, had not man contracted the stain of original 
guilt; for he would have known no cause of shame, had he 
preserved the spotless purity with which he had been invested 
at his creation. Our dress, then, instead of being, as it often is, 
an incitement to vanity, should, by reminding us of our frailty, 
become the best safeguard of modesty and humility. 

No person should employ another to dress him, unless in 
case of sickness, or want of sufficient strength ; even children. 



366 CHRISTIAN POLITEISTESS. 

when old enough to dress themselves^ should not he permitted 
the assistance of others. 

When a person has not to leave home or receive visits^ he 
mav, in the house, use anv convenient dress. How excessive 
soever the heat of summer, it is an impropriety to appear before 
anv one with the breast uncovered. 

Rules as to the manner of dressing and undressing, would he 
quite unnecessary, if persons were only attentive to the dictates 
of propriety. Every liberty, it would sometimes seem, is per- 
mitted in this matter, and yet reason and religion plainly tell us 
that all should be done orderly, and with the strictest decorum. 
It is easy to perceive how contrary it is to Christian modesty to 
dress or undress, without necessity, in the presence of others. 



CHAPTER III. 

DRESS. 

Clothing, in regard to its quality, form, and general appear- 
ance, should be consistent with the age and rank of the wearer. 
It should at all times be strictly modest, nor ever slovenly or 
untidy. The coat, and so forth, should be well brushed, the 
shirt-collar closed and always clean, the shoes or boots well 
polished ; in fine, the whole exterior should exhibit great cleanli- 
ness, neatness, and unaffected grace. 

Parents should be careful that the dress of their children be 
suitable to their condition, and that every extravagance therein 
be studiously avoided. A fondness for fine clothing often leads 
to ruinous expense ; for, when vanity in dress has been habitu- 
ally indnlged, it is very difficult to limit its excesses. 

Singularity in dress, and in the manner of wearing it, should 
be carefully guarded against. The usage of the country in which 
you live, and of the order of society in which you move, 
should guide you in the choice and form of your clothing. You 
must be careful, however, not to conform in all things to the cus- 
tom which, at the moment, may prevail. Fashion is often whim- 
sical and capricious, and should never be permitted to draw you 
into its follies and extravagances. 

"Be not the first on whom the new is tried, 
Nor yet the last to lay the old aside." 

Your dress should never exhibit either vanity or ostentation. 
The man who places his delight or his ambition in sumptuous 
apparel, degrades, whilst he seeks to exalt, himself. That merit 
must be questionable indeed, which requires to be set off by 
trinkets and finery. Negligence, on the other hand, should 
equally be avoided. It is usually the effect of sloth, and is but 
too often accompanied with inattention to personal cleanliness. 

The children of the poor should frequently be reminded how 
necessary it is to pay due attention to cleanliness^ as a means 



THE TABLE. 367 

both of preserving health, and of rendering themselves agreeable 
to those with whom they have intercourse. The privations which 
they so frequently endure, and the wretched clothes with which 
they are covered, together with the miserable and inconvenient 
habitations in which they dwell, render them so spiritless, that 
it becomes doubly incumbent on their instructors, while they 
console them under their trials, to make them sensible of the 
advantages resulting from personal cleanliness. How poorly 
soever a child may be dressed, provided his person and clothing 
are kept clean and in repair, and his demeanor is modest and 
iniassuming, he will not fail to prepossess in his favor every one 
whose good opinion is really valuable. 

The hat should be in keeping with the other parts of the dress. 
It should not be worn on the top of the head, nor on the side, 
nor so low as to cover the eyes, but straight on the head, with 
the front of the leaf facing the forehead. It should be taken off 
with the right hand, and, if necessary for the individual to remain 
uncovered, it may be held by the side, if standing ; gracefully 
on the knees, if sitting ; or disposed of in the nearest convenient 
place. In short morning visits it is generally taken into the 
apartment ; but if it is intended that the visit be of long con- 
tinuance, it is left in the hall or a place assigned for it. In 
visiting persons of distinction, the hat is not, by persons of in- 
ferior station, generally taken into the visiting apartment. 

In concluding this chapter, it may be remarked, that an 
unassuming simplicity in dress is that most befitting a Christian. 
It will serve to remind him of the modesty by which his whole 
conduct should be distinguished, and will tend to the benefit of 
others, by inciting them to follow so praiseworthy an example. 
'' Let your modesty be known to all men/^ says the apostle ; 
'^ the Lord is nigh.'' 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE TABLE. 

God does not forbid the relish which nature takes in what is 
eaten ; but reason and religion interdict either sensuality or 
gluttony. '^Whether you eat or drink, or whatever else you 
do, do all to the glory of God," is the admonition of St. Paul. 
N'ecessity, then, should be the motive of action, which is in itself 
su})jection, rather than a perfection of our nature. 

Conversations, the only subject of which is eating or drinking, 
are unworthy a rational behig, much less a Christian. When 
such topics are introduced, you should be careful not to speak of 
the good dinners of which you may have partaken, and, still less, 
of the tables or good cheer to which you may have been invited. 

Food is destined for the preservation of health and strength, 
but every kind of excess in its use should be avoided. He who 
would preserve temperance in its use, should confine himself, as 



368 CHKISTIAiT POLITENESS. 

much as possible, to the ordinary hour of meals. Food is given 
to children out of meals, but not to adults of maturer years, whose 
constitution, or state of health, does not stand in need of such 
indulgence. To eat several times in the day, and whenever an 
inclination for food is felt, besides being detrimental to health, 
may be regarded as a species of gluttony ; and to drink, with- 
out necessity, out of the time of meals, will soon lead to habits 
very dangerous to sobriety. If the habit of drinking, even 
water, be indulged in youth, drink t^f a more pernicious character 
will be fi^eely taken at a more advanced age. 

The reproach of Jesus Christ to the Pharisees, of making per- 
fection consist in external observances, in which rank they placed 
the washing of hands before meals, does not dispense us from 
the duty of w^ashing them before we sit down to table. It is 
not an ordinance of religion, but an observance prescribed by 
cleanliness and propriety. In ancient times it was usual to have 
a little fountain for this ablution, which was made both before 
and after dinner. 

Politeness should be adhered to, even when a person dines 
alone. On such occasions he should not seek to free himself 
from those observances which intercourse with civilised society 
requires. To do so would expose him to contract insensibly rude 
or unbecoming manners. 

When the time arrives for sitting down to table, "* a young 

* The following- is from two little works on Etiquette, lately published : — 
In giving a person an invitation to dinner, it would "be impolite to say that 
he would he treated without ceremony. Such an invitation would be uncivil, 
unless it be the only way of inducing the individual to accept it ; because, 
from the moment a person gives an invitation, he should endeavor to entertain 
his guest well. 

Having accepted an invitation, a person should take care to arrive 
punctually, not too late, nor yet too soon ; both would be inconvenient. 
The acceptance of an invitation is to be addressed to the lady of the house. 

Should your host offer you the place of honor at table, it is wrong to refuse 
it. To do so, keeps the company standing, and is considered very impolite. 

If the places at table are marked out by cards, it is polite to assist others of 
the company in finding their places. When not marked, the host or the 
hostess ought to call successively their company to their places according to 
theu- dignity or age, — gentlemen and ladies in turn. The principal places at 
table are those to the right and left of the mistress of the house, who occupies 
the centre of the table ; then those on each side of the master of the house — 
vis-a-vis. 

As soon as you are seated at table, place your table napkin across your 
kness, and remove the roll which you may probably find within it to the left 
side of your plate. 

The soup should be placed on the table first. Some old-fashioned persons 
still place soup and fish together; but " it is a custom more honored in the 
breach than the obser^-ance.'' Still more old-fashioned, and a still worse taste 
is it, to ask your guests if they will take "soup or fish." They are as much 
separate courses as the fish and the meat ; and all experienced diners take both. 
In any case, it is inhospitable to appear to force a choice upon a visitor when 
that visitor, in all probability, will prefer to take his soup first and liis fish 
afterwards. All well-ordered dinners begin with soup, whether in summer 
or winter. The lady of the house should help it and serve it around, without 
asking each individual in turn. It is as much an understood thing as the 



THE TABLE. 369 

person should not seek a conspicuous place, nor that which is 
most convenient; but should wait until the first seats are taken by 
those whom age or station entitles to precedency. If a place be 
assigned him by the host, he should modestly accept it, satisfied 
that he is the best judge of the seats Avhich his guests should 
occupy. If not invited to any particular place, he should 
unafi:ectedly and silently take one of the last. 

Much praise is due to those families who have preserved the 
laudable custom of grace before and after meals. What can be 
more unbecoming a Christian than not to invoke the blessing of 
God on the food of which he is about to partake, or not to return 
Him thanks for the benefits received? How can we forget that 
God is the Author of every good ; aud that to his providence v/e 
are every moment of our existence indebted for his preservation 
and 'care of us^? By a strange abuse, which cannot be too much 
nor too frequently censured, we, in the very moment of making 
use of the means of preserving existence, seem to forget the 
beneficent hand that confers them. On no account and on no 
occasion should a Christian be guilty of such ingratitude. Even 
in compaines where grace is not formally said, he may, by placing 
his hand on his breast, or by making the sign of the cross upon 
it, accompanied by a secret elevation of the heart, comply with 
a duty which the first dictates of gratitude and religion demand. 

In sitting at table, a person should be neither too near nor too 

bread beside each plate, and those who do not choose it, are always at liberty 
to leave it untasted. 

In eating soup, remember always to take it from the side of the spoon, and 
to make no sound in doing- so. 

You should never ask for a second supply of either soup or fish ; it delays 
the next course, and keeps the table waiting. 

The host should never recommend or eulogize any particular dish : the guest 
will take it for granted that everything at the table is excellent. 

When anything is handed round the table, each should, after handing the 
salver to those near him, help himself promptly and without choosing. 

The master of the house should see that the dinner service proceeds with 
order, and that each one is attended to. He ought not during this time to 
reprehend the servants for any mistake ; it would be much better to call the 
mover and speak in a low tone if necessary. He should never relinquish his 
knife and fork until his guests have finished. 

Never offer to " assist " your neighbors to this or that dish. The word is 
inexpressibly vulgar — all the more vulgar for its affectation of elegance. 
" Shall I send you some mutton ? " or " May I help you to grouse ? " is better 
chosen and better bred. 

As a general rule, it is better not to ask your guests if they will partake of 
the dishes, but to send the plates round, and let them accept or decline 
as they please. 

As soon as you are helped, begin to eat, or, if the viands are too hot for your 
palate, take up your knife and fork, and appear to begin. To wait for others 
is now not only old-fasliioned, but ill-bred. 

Never offer to pass on the plate to which you have been helped. This is a 
still more vulgar pie(!e of politeness, and belongs to the manner of a hundred 
years ago. The lady of the house who sends your plate to you is the best 
judge of precedence at her own table. 

In helping soup, fish, or any other dish, remember that to overfill a plalo is 
as bad as to supply it too scantily. 

Silver fish-laiives are generally to bo met with at tlxo best tables; but 



370 CHRISTIAN POLITENESS. 

far from it. He should not stretch back on his chair, nor yet 
keep himself bent forwards ; still less, lean his elbows on the 
table ; he may, however, lean his wrists upon it gently. 

The napkin, usually laid at each person's place, is intended to 
preserve one's clothes from being soiled, and to wipe the fingers 
and mouth when necessary. A young person should not be in 
a hurry to unfold it, but rather wait till others at the table set 
the example. 

In taking soup, which is the first served, the spoon should be 
held in the right hand, and not filled to the brim. When 
supping it, place the side of the spoon next your mouth. Take 
it near the plate, and avoid speaking at the time. If it is too hot, 
do not blow upon it, but let it cool. 

Do not cause yourself to be served first, nor by any sign or 
gesture betray the least impatience for food. Everything at 
table should be done with calmness and moderation. 

When served, it is quite unnecessary to wait until others are 
served also ; but you should eat slowly enough that others may 
have sufficient time to finish their dish at or about the same time 
as yourself As to the time of ceasing to eat, the best rule is, to 
aim at being neither the first nor the last. 

When your spoon, knife, or fork wants cleaning, it should be 
changed, and should, on no account, be wiped in the napkin or 

where there are none, a piece of crust should be taken in the left hand, and 
the fork in the right. There is no exception to this rule in eating fish. 

We presume it is scarcely necessary to remind the reader thai he is never, 
under any circumstance, to convey his knife to his mo,uth. Peas are eaten 
with the fork ; tarts, curr3^ and puddings of all kinds with the spoon. 

Always help fish with a fish-slice, and tart and puddings with a spoon, or, 
if necessary, a spoon and fork. 

Asparagus must be helped with the asparagus -tongs. 

In eating asparagus, it is well to observe what others do, and act accord- 
ingly. Some very well-bred people eat it with the fingers ; others cut off 
the heads, and convey them to the mouth upon the fork. It would be diffi- 
cult to say which is the more correct. 

In eating stone fruit, such as cherries, damsons, and so forth, the same 
rule had better be observed. Some put the stones out from the mouth into 
a spoon, and so convey them to the plate. Others cover the lips with the 
hand, drop them unseen into the palm, and so deposit them on the side of the 
plate. In our own opinion, the last is by far the better way, as it effectually 
conceals the return of the stones, which is certainly the point of the highest 
importance. One thing certain, they must never be dropped from the mouth 
to the plate. 

In helping sauce, always pour it on the side of the plate. 

A silver knife and fork should be placed to each guest at dessert. 

If you are asked to prepare fruit for a lady, be careful to do so by means of 
the silver knife and fork only, and never to touch it with your fingers. 

It is wise never to partake of any dish without knowing of what ingredients 
it is composed. You can always ask the servant who hands it to you. and 
you thereby avoid all danger of having to commit the impoliteness of leaving 
it, and showing that you do not approve of it. 

Never speak while'you have anything in your mouth. 

Be careful never to taste soups or puddings till \ ou are sure they are 
sufficiently cool ; as, by disregarding this caution, you may be compelled to 
swallow what is dangerously hot, or be driven to the unpardonable alternative 
of returning it to your plate. 

When eating or drinking, avoid every kind of audible testimony to the facts. 



THE TABLE. 371 

table-cloth. The knife should be held in the right hand, the 
fork in the left. They should be held by the handle only. The 
knife should not be used for eating with : use the fork or the 
spoon for that purpose. In eating hsh^ the fork should be held 
in the right hand, and a piece of bread in the left. 

Salt should be taken only with the salt-spoon. The tumbler 
cr drinking-glass is not to be filled to the brim. 

Fragments of meat, bones, or crumbs, should never be allowed 
to fall on the floor or about the table. They should be put on 
the small plate usually laid for that purpose. In removing any- 
thing froan the mouth which a person does not wish to swallow, 
as a fish-bone or the like, the fingers only should be used. It 
would be considered rude to cast it from the mouth on the 
plate or the table. 

Sauce should not be poured over fish or vegetables, but 
alongside of them. 

At table the following faults should be avoided : handling 
fruit or other viands ; sinking the finger-nails in the rind of 
fi'uit ; wiping the plate, fork, spoon or knife, with the napkin ; 
smelling any of the food; looking curiously at the plates of 
others ; holding the knife or fork in an upright position, or 
making gestures with them. * 

If a person should ever find anything disagreeable on his plate, 

If you should unfortunately overturn or break anything-, do not apologize 
for it. You can show your regret in your face, but it is not well-bred to put 
it into words. 

Should you injure a lady's dress, apologize amply, and assist her, if 
possible, to remove all traces of the damage. 

To abstain from taking the last piece on the dish, or the last glass of wine 
in the decanter, only because it is the last, is highly ill-bred. It implies a 
fear that the vacancy cannot be supplied, and almost convej^s an affront to 
your host. 

In withdrawing from table, the napkin should be laid either on the table or 
on the back of the chair. If a person wishes to depart before the company 
separates, he should do so at once without the ceremony of leave-taking, 
which causes, on such occasions, an unpleasant hiatus in the party. 

In summing up the little duties and laws of the table, a popular author has 
said that — " The chief matter of consideration at the dinner-table, as, indeed, 
everywhei c else in the life of a gentleman — is to be perfectly composed and 
at his ease. He speaks deliberately ; he performs the most important act of 
the day as if he were performing the most ordinary. Yet there is no appear- 
ance of trifling' or want of gravity in his manner; he maintains the dignity 
which is so becoming on so vital an occasion. He performs all the ceremonies, 
yet in the style of one who performs no ceremonies at all. He goes through 
all the complicated duties of the scene as if he were ' to the manner born.' "' 

" To invite a friend to dinner,'' says Brillat Savarin, "is to become respon- 
sible for his happiness so long as he is under your roof." Again :. . " He who 
receives friends at his tabl^^, without having bestowed his personal supervision 
upon the repast placed before them, is unworthy to have Mends." 

* ' Tis an old saying that 

' Man should be taught as tho' you taught him not, 
And things unknown proposed as things forgot." 
Still it will not be wholly out of place here to insert the following piquant 
remarks which may, but more probably may not, have been made by a host 
to his guest : — 



372 CHRISTIAlSr POLITEE"ESS. 

he should remove it quietly, without speaking of it to anj of the 
company. 

When affairs oblige one to leave immediately after dinner^ he 
ought not disturb his host by ill-timed farewells, or even by 
expressions of thankfulness, especially if he cannot do so with- 
out interrupting the attentions which the host is occupied in 
paying to his other guests. 

The duties of a young person at table may be summed up as 
follows : Select, if left to your choice, the lowest place; sit in a 
becoming posture at the table ; say, recollectedly, the grace 
before and after meals; be moderate in the quantity of food, and 
avoid all avidity in the manner of taking it ; let there be nothing 
rude or affectedly polite in your demeanor ; be attentive to the 
comfort and convenience of others ; let your whole conduct be 
amiable and obliging ; and do all quietly, silently, and without 
ostentation. In fine, treat those with whom you associate as 
the representatives of our Lord Jesus Christ, and you will not 
be likely to fail in the kindness, courtesy, and respect to which 
they are entitled. 

All kinds of violent exercise immediately after dinner are pre- 
judicial to health, and should, therefore, be avoided. 

" Now, my friend, let us go to dinner, and I will soon tell you whether you 
are a well-bred man or not ; and here let me premise that what may be 
styled good manners for a small dinner may be styled good manners for a 
large one, and vice versa. Now, the first thing j-ou do is to sit down. Stop, 
sir ! pray do not cram yourself into the table in that way ; no, nor sit a yard 
fi-om it, like that. How graceless, inconvenient, and in the way of conversa- 
tion ! Why, dear me, you are positively putting your elbows on the table, 
and now you have got your hands fumbling about with the spoons and forks, 
and now you are nearly knocking my new hock glasses over. Can't you 
take your hanfls down, sir? Didn't j^ou learn that in the nurserj' ? Didn't 
your mamma say to you, "Never put your hands above the table except 
to carve or eat ! '^ Oh! but come, no nonsense, sit up if you please. I 
can't have your fine head of hair forming a side dish on my table, you must 
not bury your face iu the plate, you came to show it, and it ought to be alive. 
V/ell, but there is no occasion to throw j'our head back like that, you look 
like an alderman, sir, after dinner. Pra^-, don't lounge in that sleepy way. 
You are here to eat, drink, and be merry. You can sleep when you get 
home. 

"Well, then, I suppose j^ou can see your napkin. Got none, indeed! 
Very likely, in viy house. You may be sure that I never sit down to a meai 
Avithout napkins. I don't want to make tqy table cloths unfit for use, and 
I don't want to make my trousers unwearable. Well now; we are all seated, 
you can unfold it on your knees : no, no ; don't tuck it into your waiscoat like 
an alderman ; and what I what on earth do you mean by wiping your fore 
head with it ? Do you take it for a towel ? Well, never mind, I am consoled 
that you did not go farther, and use it as a pocket-handerchief. So talk away 
to the lady on your right, and wait till soup is handed to you. By the 
way, that waiting is a most important part of table manners, and, as much as 
possible, you should avoid asking for anything or helping yourself from the 
table. Your soup you eat with a spoon — I don"t know v/hat else you could 
eat it with — but then it must be one of good size. Yes, that will do. but I 
beg you will not make that odious noise in taking your soup. It is louder 
"han a dog lapping water, and a cat would be quite genteel to it. Then you 
need not scrape up the plate in that way, nor even tilt it to get the last drop. 
I shall be happy to send you some more ; but I must just remark, that it is 



VISITS. 373 

CHAPTEE V. 

VISITS. 

Justice^ as well as charity^ requires that we visit our relations 
and friends, w^hen they are sick, afflicted, or placed in embarrass- 
ing circumstances. We should also visit in their trials those 
with whom we may have had any misunderstanding, il* we 
reasonably believe that our visit will be acceptable. The Gospel 
makes it an imperative duty to love our enemies ; and at what 
time can we so meritoriously comply with this duty, as when 
they are laboring under afflictions ? Even pagans regarded it as 
a virtue becoming the exalted dignity of man^ to do good to 
those who injured them. 

Justice requires that we visit our superiors also at suitable times, 
in order to testify the respect and confidence which they have a 
right to expect from us. Charity demands that we visit our 
inferiors, to edify or instruct them ; or to console and render them 
such assistance as their wants may require. 

In all our visits we should imitate the example of Jesus Christ, 
our divine Master and our Model. K he entered the house of 

not the custom to take two helpings of soup, and it is liable to keep other 
people waiting-, which, once for all, is a selfish and intolerable habit. You 
are keeping my servant, sir. Will you, or will you not, take turbot ? Don't 
examine it in that way ; it is quite fresh I assure you: take or decline it. 
Ah ! you take it, but that is no reason why you should take up a knife too. 
Fish, I repeat, must never be touched with a knife. Take a fork in the right, 
and a small piece of bread in the left hand. Good, but — ? Oh ! that is 
atrocious ; of course you must not swallow the bones, but you should rather 
do so than spit them out in that way. Put up your napkin like this, and land the 
said bone on the side of your plate. Don't rub your bread in the sauce, my 
good man, nor go progging about after the shrimps or oysters therein. Oh ! 
how horrid ; I declare your mouth was wide open and full of fish. Small 
pieces, I beseech you ; and once for all, whatever you eat, keep your mouth 
shut, and never attempt to talk with it full. 

" So now you have got a pate. Surelj'' you are not taking two on your 
plate. There is plenty of dinner to come, and one is quite enough. Oh ! 
dear me, you are incorrigible. What ! a knife to cut that light, brittle pastry ? 
No, nor fingers — never. Nor a spoon — almost as bad. Take your fork, sir, 
your fork ; and now you have eaten, oblige me hj wiping your mouth and 
moustache with your napkin, for there is a piece of the pastry hanging to the 
latter, and looking verj^ disagreeable. Well, you can refuse a dish if you 
like. There is no positive necessity for j^ou to take venison if you don't want 
it. But, at any rate, do not be in that terrific hurry. You are not going off 
by the next train. Wait for the sauce and wait for A^egetables; but 
whether yoxx eat them or not, do not begin before every body else. Surely 
you must take my table for tluit of a railway refreshment-room, for you have 
finished before the person I helped first. Fast eating is bad for the diges- 
tion, my good sir, and not very good manners either. What ! are you trying 
to eat meat with a fork alone ? Oh ! it is sweetbread, I beg your pardon, 
you are quite right. I^et me give you a rule : — Everything that can be cut 
without a knife, should be cut with a fork alone. Eat your vegetables there- 
fore with a fork. No, there is no necessity to take a spoon for peas ; a fork 
in the right hand will do. What ! did 1 really see you put your knife into 
your mouth ? Then I must give you up. Once for all, and ever, the knitb 
is to cut, not to help with. Tray, do not mun(;h in that noisy manner ; chew 



374 CHRISTIAN POLITENESS. 

Zaccheus, it was to bring salvation to that house ; if he visited 
Martha and Mary^ it was to snatch from the arms of death the 
brother whom thej love ; if he offered to go to the house of the 
centurion, it was to effect a miraculous cure. Thus, all the 
visits of our divine Savior were accompanied with deeds of 
beneficence. 

He is our model ; hence, our visits should neither be idle nor 
useless. K no other evil attended them, save waste of that 
inestimable treasure, time, this alone should be a suflBcient 
inducement to all who value it, prudently to abstain from them. 

Visits which are made through ceremony, or for the purpose 
of amusement, should be short, and not consume the time destined 
for business. Nor should visits be made at the hour of meals, 
or at inconvenient hours, as such m.ay derange more or less the 
previous arrangements of the parties visited. People who have 
little to occupy their own time, very frequently and very un- 
reasonably trespass on the time of others, and thus render 
themselves troublesome by their long and unseasonable visits. 
Congratulatory visits should be made shortly after the event. 

On arriving at a house, a person should not announce himself 
with a loud knocking at the door, nor by speaking in a loud 
tone of voice. Rapping at the door should be done gently, yet 
so as to be distinctly heard. A bell should not be rung with 
violence; and there should be left, between the first and second 
time a person raps or rings, a sufficient interval for the opening 
of the door. 

A person should not enter an apartment without giving notice 

your food well, but softly. Eat slowly. Have you not heard that Kapoleon 
lost the battle of Leipsic by eating too fast ? It is a fa-ct though. His haste 
caused indigestion, which made him incapable of attending to the details of 
the battle. You see you are the last person eating at table. Sir, I will not 
allow you to speak to my servant in that way. If they are so remiss as to 
oblige you to ask for anything, do it gently, and in a low tone, and thank a 
servant just as much as you would his master. Ten to one he is as good a 
man; and because he, is your inferior in position, is the very reason you 
should treat him courteously. Oh ! it is of no use to ask me to take wine ; 
far from pacif>'ing me, it will only make me more angry, for I tell you the 
custom is quite gone out, except in a few country Aillages, and at a mess- 
table. However, there is this consolation, if you should ask any one to take 
wine with you. he or she cannot refuse, so you have your own way. Make 
yourself more agreeable ; you did not come merely to eat. Don't sit as glum 
as the Memnon at Thebes ; talk and be pleasant. Kow, you have some pud- 
ding. No knife — no \ no\ A spoon if you like, but betterstill. a fork. Yes, 
ice requires a spoon ; there is a small one handed you, take that. 

" Say no. That is the fourth time wine has been handed to you, and I am 
sure you have had enough. Decline this time if you please. Decline that 
dish too. Are you going to eat of everything that is handed ? I pity you if 
you do. No, you must not ask for more cheese, and you must eat it with your 
fork. Break the rusk with your fingers. Good. You are drinking a glass 
of old port. Do not quaff it down at a gulp in that way. Never drink a 
whole glassful of anything at once. 

"Well, here is the wine and dessert. Take whichever wine ^^ou like, but 
remember you must keep to that, and not change about. Well, the dinner 
has done you good, and me too. You wiU come out admirably at your next 
dinner with all my teaching." 



RECREATION-. 375 

in some way or other^ even though the door be open. A slight 
knock will, generally; suffice. 

While standing in a hall, it is exceedingly improper to sing, whis- 
tle, speak loud, toach the furniture, or gaze through the windows. 

If, on entering an apartment, you find the person you visit 
engaged Avith others, you should not interrupt him, but remain 
at a distance until he his disengaged. If invited to any par- 
ticular seat, it should be thankfully accepted. 

The tone, language, and manners of a young person, during 
his visit, should be modest, respectful, and engaging. With 
superiors, he should be careful to avoid familiarity on the one 
hand, and too much ceremoniousness on the other; the one 
might be considered obtrusive, the other might embarrass. 

Care should be taken not to prolong a visit beyond the time 
which politeness, or the business we have to transact, necessarily 
requires. You should sit Avhile the person visited sits, and rise 
when he rises. His rising from his chair should be regarded as 
a signal for your departure, and you should never remain one 
moment longer than he seems to desire. It is no small mark of 
politeness, and indeed of prudence, to know the exact time at 
which your company ceases to be agreeable. 

It is a great incivility to give unnecessary delay to your 
visitors. If occupied, you should send some persons to receive 
them, and pay them the necessary attentions, until such time as 
you may be disengaged. 

When a person cannot remain with his visitors as long as 
civility would dictate, he might, after a short conversation, beg 
leave to retire, without even concealing that he was at that 
moment seriously engaged with business which would not admit 
of postponement. 

You should receive your visitors with frankness and cordiality, 
during their stay manifest an interest in their conversation, and, 
at their departure, accompany them to the door. Dignitaries 
and public functionaries are dispensed from this last ceremony, 
the nature of their respective duties requiring so much of their 
attention. 



CHAPTER VI. 

RECREATION. 

Recreation should occupy some portion of each day, in order 
to unbend the mind after serious application, or to relieve the 
body after fatiguing employment. God, sensible of the we^akness 
of man's nature, authorizes the relaxation necessary for the 
reparation and maintenance of that strength, which occupations 
of long continuance always tend to weaken. 

The consecration of the seventh day after the creation, is a 
figure of the repose after labor, which man is privileged to enjoy. 



376 CHRISTIAISr POLITEITESS. 

Our blessed Lord himself interrupted his laborious mission to 
procure his apostles a short but necessary respite ; and the 
faithful, while thej were yet animated by the holy fervor which 
the visible presence of our Lord had excited, devoted certain times 
to joy and relaxation ; but their joy was pure without alloy ; 
their repose partook in nothing of that effeminacy, slothfuluess, 
and delicacy, by which latter ages have been so discreditably 
distinguished. 

The amusements of a Christian should be regulated by necessity, 
and should never transgress the bounds of moderation. 

Conversation forms the most ordinary recreation after meals. 
It should be cheerful, without levity, and useful, without either 
seriousness or ostentation. You may laugh, indeed, for there is a 
time for laughter, but that laughter should be moderate and 
discreet. To laugh loudly is rude; to laugh without reason 
is folly; and to laugh at everything indiscriminately, is levity 
and the height of imprudence. You should never turn into 
ridicule any of the company, in order to amuse yourself or 
others at their expense. To do so would be contrary to the 
dictates of religion, good nature, and ordinary propriety. 

Religion, its ministers, ceremonies, and practices, should 
always be spoken of with geat respect and veneration. The 
faults of an ecclesiastic, whether real or imaginary, should never 
be made the subject of conversation. The noble sentiments of 
the Emperor Theodosius ought to be ever present to our mind : 
^^ Were I to see an ecclesiastic commit a fault even, I would 
instantly conceal it beneath my royal mantle.^^ 

It manifests a great degree of ill-nature and a great want of 
charity, to laugh at the mental or bodily defects of others. We 
should remember that we ourselves are full of imperfections, and 
that our defects, if not exactly similar to those we ridicule, may, 
perhaps, be more really discreditable. In ridiculing others, 
people very often only expose their own failings. An uncharit- 
able jest may indeed excite laughter ; it can never be the object 
of admiration. 

Walking is another species of amusement, and one that contri- 
butes much to the preservation of health. In walking, the most 
respectable person should be placed in the middle. If there are 
only two, he should be placed on the right ; but when walking 
in the streets, the person whom you wnsh to respect, should be 
placed next the bouses. A gentleman in going up stairs with 
ladies, should precede them; in coming down, they should 
precede him. 

Some young persons, when walking abroad, laugh loudly and 
almost hi the faces of those they meet. What can be a clearer 
mark of a thoughtless mind, or an ill-regulated heart? A person 
of good sense would have a more exalted idea of what is due to 
his own dignity, and to that of his fellow-beings, than to yield 
to such buffoonery. Others speak in the streets in a loud voice, 
as if to attract the attention of the paisers-by. This is folly and 



CONVEESATIONS. 377 

vanity. The tone of the voice should, at all times, but particu- 
larly in the streets, or in mixed society, be moderate, not attract- 
ing the notice or disturbing the conversation of others. 

Singing is an amusement agreeable to ourselves and to those 
with whom we associate. The Apostle St. Paul, in two of his 
Epistles, admonishes Christians to sing psalms and hymns to the 
glory of the Lord, and to let the heart correspond with the tones 
of the voice, because they are the praises of the Most High. 
How desirable that Christians should set to music the words of 
pious songs, and the psalms and canticles which haA^e been trans- 
lated into the vernacular language, and sing them occasionally ! 
It would be a great means of preserving within them the spirit of 
piety, and of cheering them under the trials to which this life ,is 
subject. 

Much gesture in singing belongs only to actors. In private 
company, the manner of the singer should harmonize with the 
words and the intonations of his voice ; and while he is careful 
to avoid everything violent or affected, he should not remain 
motionless as a statue. 



CHAPTER VII. 

COlSrYERSATIOlTS. 

Persons who live in the world, are, by the nature of human 
affairs, obliged to see and converse frequently with one another. 
Our. conversations, whether of necessity or of amusement, should 
always be marked by discretion, modesty, and decorum. 

We should, according to the advice of the wise man, weigh 
our words with Aveights of gold ; and as we attach great value 
to that metal, and use it with economy, so, likewise, should we 
weigh well the words which Ave utter, and not use them either 
extravagantly or imprudently. The good and the upright heart 
suggests pure and virtuous language, while the mouth of the 
corrupt utters words of death. 

Conversation, besides the pleasure which it affords, is one of 
the easiest and most natural means of acquiring information. It 
makes us acquainted with men and their opinions, and with 
much that is useful respecting the transactions and business of 
the world, and the various motives of action by Avhich it is 
directed and governed. We learn many things Avhich might 
otherAvise escape our observation ; and by imparting to us the 
opinions and sentiments of others, it enables us to form a stand- 
ard by Avhich we may estimate our own. By the mutual inter- 
change of thought which conversation affords, we add to our 
stock of information, and make even our recreations contribute 
to our improvement. 

But notwithstanding these manifest advantages, conversation 
Is also productive of very serious evils, as there is nothing in 



378 CHRISTIAIf POLITEI^TESS. 

which men permit themselves so much levity and indiscretion. 

^' The tongue, though a little member^ is a world of iniquity ;" 

•^He who offends not by word, is a perfect man."* David him- 
self prayed that a guard might be placed upon his mouth to 
preserve him from the excesses of the tongue. How necessary, 
then, to make ourselves acquainted with the rules by which it 
should be regulated. 



SECTION I. 

TRUTH. 

Truth is the first quality that should characterize our language. 
On no account should a person utter a falsehood, or be guilty of 
the least dissimulation or duplicity. The holy old man Eleazar 
preferred death to dissimulation; and St. Cyprian would not 
allow his life to be preserved at the expense of truth. The early 
life of the immortal George Washington presents an admirable 
example of the love of truth ; the incident is too well known to 
require repetition here. A lie is always sinful and degrading ; 
and children, in consequence of not reflecting on the evils 
resulting from a habit of lying, but too often become familiar 
with dissimulation — a vice the more dangerous, as in them it 
frequently disguises itself under the appearance of modesty. 
^^ The life of the liar shall be without honor ; confusion shall cover 
his face." The Prophet David admonishes that, if our days 
would flow happily, we must be careful not to contract this 
pernicious and disgraceful habit. 

The liar is guilty of many indiscretions, hurtful both to him- 
self and his neighbor ; and if, to save his honor, compromised by 
a falsehood, it be necessary to join perfidy with folly, he hesi- 
tates not. The secrets of his friend are revealed ; the interests 
or character of a neighbor, sacrificed; and what follows? — his 
perfidiousness is soon detected, his reputation tarnished, all 
confidence in his integrity destroyed ; and, if any of his friends 
are found who continue to confide in him, we may reasonably 
question their prudence or their sincerity. 

Equivocations deserve severe condemnation, because they 
confound truth with falsehood, and are used for the purpose of 
shielding the liar from merited reproach. They are a species 
of falsehood, equally proscribed by uprightness, good manners, 
and the spirit of the Gospel. 

We should never relate news as true, without being well 
assured of its accuracy. If it is doubtful, we should mention it 
as such, and not attempt to add to its interest by false or 
improbable narrations. 

In a solemn inquiry, once held by Cardinal Colonna, the 
word of the youthful Petrarch was as satisfactory to his Eminence 
as the sworn testimony of the other domestics, because, from his 
* St. James, iii. 



RENDEKiisrG co:n^yersation agreeable. 379 

childhood, he was known to have had a sincere regard for truth, 
and an utter abhorrence of falsehood. "• As to you, Petrarch/' 
said the Cardinal, '^ you need not swear ; your word suffices." 
Hence, the advantage of a habit of truthfulness : but, to acquire 
this habit, one should make it an inviolable rule to speak the 
truth with all sincerity, on even the most trivial occasion. 

We should be exceedingly careful to redeem, in due time, the 
promises we may have made ; for few things render a man more 
contemptible than repeated breaches of fidelity to his word. If, 
however, honor and good breeding require this fidelity, prudence 
equally requires that we never make promises without having 
duly considered their consequences, and guarded against the 
inconvenience and embarrassment which too great a facility in 
promising so often occasions. 

As good faith and mutual confidence should be at all times 
the soul of conversation, we should never, even in jest, use 
disguise or dissimulation. 



SECTION II 

MEAKS OF RENDEEIira CONYEESATION AGREEABLE. 

To profit by conversation, you must guard against absence of 
mind and inattention to what is said, and must treasure up every 
sentiment and opinion worth preserving ; while, to render your 
conversation agreeable to others, you must have your mind well 
stored with ideas, particularly on those subjects which form the 
ordinary topics of discourse in society. You must also possess 
a ready command of appropriate language. To this must be added 
a certain gracefulness of delivery, without which your opinions, 
however just, and though couched in the most elegant language, 
will lose much of their value, and fail to excite that interest 
to which they may be intrinsically entitled. 

Correct pronunciation, grammatical construction of sentences, 
suitable gestures, earnestness without vehemence, and a certain 
ease and sweetness, blended with a calm and modest dignity, 
contribute materially to enforce our opinions, and transfuse our 
sentiments into the minds and hearts of our hearers. 

Few, it is said, possess all that constitutes the correct and 
agreeable speaker ; but every one can, by reading, observation, 
and reflection, joined with the desire of rendering himself 
agreeable, considerably improve his conversational powers, and 
})ecome a welcome member of every company which his station 
in society permits him to enter. 

Conversation is sometimes rendered dull and uninteresting, 
tlirough the absence of suitable and pleasing subjects. On going 
into company, a person should make choice of a few, which, 
under such circumstances, he may be enabled to introduce, lie 
might also supply hunself with a few appropriate anecdotes. 



380 CHRISTIAN POLITENESS. 

These should be short, have coDnection with the previous re- 
marks, and be suited to the company and tone of conversation. 
When a subject has once been mooted, and seems to excite 
general interest, another should not be proposed until that under 
consideration is exhausted, or ceases to attract attention. Should 
no other be then brought forward, he may propose one. 

Another method of enlivening conversation, and one which in 
the domestic circle would be exceedingly valuable, is for one 
person to read a paragraph or two from a book, continuing until 
some opinion or sentiment elicits remark, and becomes the subject 
of discourse. The reading should then be discontinued, its 
object having been attained: Should the conversation again 
grow dull, the reading may be resumed until a similar effect is 
reproduced. Conversations of homV continuance, and of a very 
improving character, have frequently been known to originate in 
such expedients. 

Some portion of the conversation will always, by a person 
really polite, be addressed individually to each member of the 
company. This tends to keep alive the interest of all, and to 
compliment each by the attention which is paid him. 

You should be reserved in the company of those with whose 
character, profession, or circumstances in life you are unac- 
quainted, lest you say anything calculated to wound or give 
offence. Several very disagreeable and embarrassing incidents 
have occurred through w^ant of this precaution. When once 
introduced to a person, you should endeavor not to forget his 
name, that, in any future interview, you may know how to 
address him. 



SECTION III. 

PROFANE AND ITNCHARITABLE LANGUAGE. 

Persons are sometimes to be met with who make a boast of their 
incredulity and irreligion. The w^ord of God itself does not 
escape their infamous raillery. The society of such should be 
shunned ; for, as St. Paul says, ^^ evil communications corrupt 
good morals.'^ The state of such nominal Christians is truly 
deplorable; for they glory in their sin, and make the holy 
things of God the objects of their ribaldry. 

Oaths, blasphemies, and imprecations should not only be 
banished from conversation, but the company of those who utter 
them cautiously shunned. There are other expressions, too, 
though not equally criminal, from which you should carefully 
abstain; such as using on every occasion, and without due 
respect, the holy name of God, forms of expression resembling 
oaths, &c. The profound reverence w^hich every Christian 
should have for that Almighty Being who made and governs the 
universe, cannot tolerate the thoughtlessness and levity with 
which His holy name is so often pronounced. Such levity leads 



profa:n"e and uitchapvItable la:n^guage. 381 

to indifference; and often ends in habitual profaneness. It is 
unnecessary to add, that conversations which tend in the 
slightest degree^ either directly or indirectly, to wound Christian 
modesty, should neither be used nor tolerated. A virtuous 
person would shudder at the very thought of hearkening to such 
discourse. 

It is contrary to trae politeness, as well as to Christian charity, 
to speak ill of your neighbors. Slander, although unhappily so 
common in discourse, is not less criminal, nor less an indication 
of a base and ianvious soul, replete with bitterness, revenge, or 
malignity. To repeat what you have heard from the mouth of 
the slanderer is very criminal. We should view the matter in 
question in the most favorable light ; believe there must have 
been some mistake ; and remain silent when you cannot possibly 
excuse. To ^^do to others as you would wish they should do to 
you,^^ is a maxim containing all that is necessary to guide your 
conduct relative to your neighbor's reputation — a maxim often 
repeated, but seldom acted upon. 

You should abstain from injurious or humiliating comparisons. 
It is impolite and unfeeling to say that such or such a one is 
lame, humpbacked, and so forth, in the presence of persons who 
may be afflicted with a similar deformity. You should be still 
more cautious not to upbraid those with whom you converse, with 
the faults or follies to which they may have yielded, or with the 
disgraceful circumstances in which they may have been placed. 
Every injurious or contemptuous word is opposed to the injunc- 
tions of our blessed Lord, who declares that he who says, to his 
brother, ^^ thou fool," is deserving of hell -fire. Irony, too, in 
addressing others, or speaking of them, should not be indulged 
in; and mimicry should be altogether avoided. ^^ Mimicry, the 
favorite amusement of little minds, has ever been the contempt of 
great ones. Never be guilty of it yourself, nor encourage it in 
others. It is the most illiberal of all buffbonery. It insults the 
person you mimic, and insults are seldom forgotten." 

If jesting be permitted, it should never be applied to holy 
things or to natural defects ; nor should it attack reputation, 
merit, or the memory of the dead. It may, indeed, be innocent, 
and, no doubt, often is ; but to be such, with how many pre- 
cautions must it not be accompanied! It is so difficult to jest 
without violating both charity and politeness, that it would be 
Avell that jesting were altogether banished from society; more- 
over, when the habit of jesthig is once formed, politeness, the 
feelings, and even the reputation of others, are too often sacri- 
ficed to its indulgence. The habitual je§ter is generally dis- 
liked. He often excites merriment, but seldom, if ever, 
admiration. 



382 CHRISTIAN POLITENESS. 

SECTION IV. 

DISCPvETION IN THE USE OF WORDS. 

To speak indiscreetly, is to speak without reflection on every 
subject that presents itself, to speak when you should be silent, 
or to utter foolish or extravagant things. Those who speak 
much, are generally inconsiderate in their language ; the desire 
of speaking causes them to deal out fooleries ; and it rarely 
happens that much talk is not attended with many faults. A 
restraint should be placed on the tongue if you have not sufficient 
understanding to comprehend what is said, or know not what to 
reply. You should observe the times in which you may, with- 
out indiscretion, join in the conversation ; for it is levity and im- 
prudence to express your ideas every time you feel an impulse to 
do so. All your words should, as the apostle advises, be accom- 
panied with grace and seasoned with wisdom. In fine, you 
should speak only of what you know, and be silent as to matters 
of which you are ignorant. Besides, it should be remembered, 
that conversation does not consist in mere talk. 

To listen discreetly, avoiding whatever would betray absence 
of mind or inattention, is a matter of no small importance. The 
most refined and agreeable compliment you can pay to others, is 
to appear interested in what they say. The best rule for young 
persons in society is to listen a great deal ; to speak but little, 
and that little always to the purpose. The babbling of a young 
man is exceedingly indecorous. How silly to vent the thoughts 
mcessantly in useless words ! 

Avoid the use of long paraphrases in saying what might be 
concisely expressed ; or involving the principal object in a 
number of irrelevant incidents. 

Talking of yourself in company is an impertinence. Your 
afi'airs are nothing to them, nor can they be kept too secret. As 
to the afi'airs of others, what are they to you f In talking of 
matters that no way concern you, you are liable to commit 
blunders; and should you wound any one's feelings, you may 
possibly lose his esteem. It is an intolerable vanity in a person 
to praise himself, or to contrast hunself or his conduct with the 
person or conduct of any individual. Those airs, too, of pre- 
sumption and self-sufficiency, which are so frequently assumed 
for the purpose of impressing others with an idea of one's im- 
portance, defeat their own object, and excite the ridicule or con- 
tempt of those who are constrained to witness them, "Let 
another praise thee, not thy own mouth, ^^ says Solomon ; *' a, 
stranger, not thy own lips." A man who praises himself, shows 
clearly that he is undeserving of praise. 

But, though silent in regard to himself, he should not be silent 
respecting the virtue and merit of others, taking care, however, 
to banish from his commendation every thing savoring of adula- 
tion and flattery. The praises bestowed upon you should be 



THE IMPORTUNATE AND CONTENTIOUS. 383 

received with modesty and thankfulness. It would be folly to 
get into ill-humor with those from whom you receive applause, 
particularly if it were merited by any action, the natural good- 
ness of which you could not well conceal. 

There are some who take offence at the praises bestowed on 
others, or endeavor to derogate from them by allusion to their 
foibles and weaknesses. You should never be guilty of this 
fault ; you should rather add, if in your power, to the praises 
bestowed. If you cannot speak well of the individual in question, 
you ought to be silent regarding him, unless justice or charity 
evidently require that you make known your opinion of him. 

You should not speak either of the present or the absent in 
terms of excessive praise ; neither should we, from a desire of 
commending any one, offend against truth. K our relations are 
praised for any good qualities they may possess, or any good 
deed they may have performed, we should modestly testify our 
gratitude, but not indulge our vanity by adding to their praises. 

We should not, on seeing a thing for the first time, give vent 
to our feelings by extravagant exclamations of surprise or 
admiration. As a general rule, we ought to be reserved and 
moderate in awarding praise ; and should appreciate things 
according to their real value, that our esteem and praise of them 
may be consistent with the rules of prudence and discretion. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE IMPORTUNATE AND CONTENTIOUS. 

Nothing can be more insipid and disagreeable than the 
conversation of those importunate talkers, who put questions 
continually on the most trilling tbiugs, or on those of which they 
should remain ignorant. We should never put direct questions 
to a person when we have reason to think he would feel a 
delicacy in answering them. Even inquiries relative to health 
should be made in an indirect form, so as to leave the individual 
at liberty to give such a reply as suits his inclination. 

There is another description of rude and troublesome persons 
— travellers, who speak of nothing but their adventures, the 
countries through which they have travelled, the real or 
pretended dangers they have encountered ; continuing to repeat 
the same circumstances a hundred times over. Another class, at 
every phrase, ask, *^Do you understand f'^ This is exceedingly 
rude. They should finish what they have to say, and tlien, if 
they perceive that they have been misunderstood, they sliould 
repeat it. Every speaker should juliculate distinctly, and abstain 
from the use of obscure, ambiguous, or eqnivocal expressions. 

It is an act of politeness briefly to mention the subject of 
conversation to those who enter a company. You should not 
interrupt him who speaks, but wait calmly until he has finishcil 



384 CHRISTIAN POLITENESS. 

what he had to say, and then reply ; neither should you be the 
first to answer a question not particularly addressed to you, 
until you shall have given to others sufficient opportunity of 
replying. 

It would be unpardonable rudeness to say of a subject in 
debate, ^^ It is not true ;" " You do not understand the matter ; '^ 
" I have my own opinion still ; " and so forth. A polite person 
would say : ^^I think you must have been misinformed as to the 
facts ;" "■ It may possibly be a mistake f '^ I thought it was 
otherwise/' or some observation of a similar character. He might 
also let the matter rest, or change the subject of discourse, unless 
duty or charity require that he maintain his opinion. 

If the views of an individual differ from those of every member 
of a company, he should be silent, or state his opinions with 
great modesty, but should not obstinately defend them. He 
may also state his reasons for holding those opinions, but he 
should never betray obstinate attachment to them. The fact of 
their being thus generally opposed, is not, certainly, a decided 
proof of their inaccuracy, but is, at least, a strong presumptive 
argument why he should mistrust them. 

The Apostle St. Paul admonishes his disciple, St. Timothy, to 
avoid all dissensions. The spirit of contention is directly opposed 
to the meekness so strongly recommended in the Gospel. It is 
equally contrary to the spirit and usages of polite society. 
Disputes spring from presumption, and from the false idea which 
people entertain of their own merit and ability. Some persons 
dispute about everything. When any one expresses an opinion, 
this is to them the signal for argument. How odious and 
despicable ! The only mode of dealing with such characters is to 
be silent, or to avoid their company. To oppose them is to add 
fuel to the fire, and supply them with materials for contention. 
A wise and prudent man will never contend with such persons. 

You should never oppose the opinions of others without solid 
reasons, nor should you enter into an argument merely to gratify 
the desire of disputing. When obliged to argue, you should do 
so with all possible sweetness, ever remembering the word of the 
wise man, that sweet words multiply friends and conciliate 
enemies. You should, in the first instance, express how far you 
agree with the opinions just advanced, and show great reluctance 
to refuse your entire assent. You should then politely, and in 
language and manner perfectly inoffensive, state the reasons of 
your dissent, carefully abstaining from all airs of superiority, and 
never indulging in the glory of a triumph. 

You have been told of a person of dignified station, that when 
he feels it his duty to oppose the opinions, even of his inferiors, 
he first considers calmly what each has said, pointing out every 
thing that appears to be reasonable, and, having done full justice 
to every opinion, he then politely introduces his own. This 
iimiable condescension, whilst it gives weight and authority to 
ins decisions, inspires sentiments of respect, veneration, and love. 



COMPLIMENTS. 385 

He whose sole object is to establish or vindicate truth, is amply 
requited when that object is attained. 

You should not interrupt another while speaking in order to 
comment on what he narrates, or render it less ambiguous or 
inaccurate. If you have any observations to offer, you may, of 
course, do so, but not until he has finished. He who finds that 
he has defended an erroneous opinion or committed a mistake in 
the recital of a narration, should never hesitate to acknowledge 
his error. He should receive with candor and gratitude the 
corrections which may be made, and never take offence at obser- 
vations tending to set him right. 



CHAPTER IX. 

COMPLIMEKTS. 

Compliments, to be really valuable, must be the fruit of sincerity 
and good feeling, free from coldness or indifference, on the one 
Jtiand ; and from flattery and adulation on the other. 

'* 'Tis an old maxim in the schools, 
That flattery's the food of fools." 

Some, in paying a compliment, do it in so awkward a manner, 
that they frequently excite pain when they intend to give 
pleasure. ^ *- 

Compliments should be well-timed, suited to the person and 
to the occasion, and should be seldom offered directly, but, aa 
much as possible, by inference, by either a hint or a comparison. 
In compliments of condolence on the death of a dear relative, or 
the loss of a considerable property or law-suit, much should not 
be said on the cause of the affliction. You should, by gradually 
withdrawing the mind to other objects, or by the delicate intro- 
duction of some consoling reflections, alleviate the mental anguish 
which the sufferer is enduring. 

The maxim of the wise man, that we should not praise a man 
before his death, does not mean that we are never to use com- 
pliments, nor utter words of commendation. It merely intimates 
that we should measure well the praises we bestow, for they, but 
too frequently, serve as mere incentives to the gratification of 
vanity. 

Compliments dictated by artifice or adulation should never be 
offered, for they bespeak a deceitful heart. Affectation in the 
manner of giving them should likewise be avoided. Your whole 
manner should be so faithful an expression of the sentiments you 
utter, as to leave no room to doubt of their sincerity. 

The person to whom a compliment is paid, should accept it 
unaffectedly and thankfully, without manifesting any very great 
satisfaction, or yet betraying the least symptom of indifference. 

It may here be remarked, that your language should, on all 
17 



386 CHRISTIAN POLITEISTESS. 

occasions, be pure, simple, and intelligible — free from foreign, 
obsolete or vulgar phrases. If a chaste, correct^ and beautiful 
style of speaking be acquired in early life, it may easily be 
retained ever after; but negligence or indifference in youth, 
either in the choice of words, or the manner of arranging them, 
will not, without Timch difficulty, be overcome in riper years. A 
person remarkable for the accuracy and elegance of his expres- 
sions, being asked by a friend how he had attained so valuable 
an acquisition, replied, that from his boyhood he had accustomed 
himself to speak correctly, and that it had now become quite 
natural, and required no effort whatever. He concluded by 
saying, that to speak incorrectly, w^ould, he believed, cost him 
as much pain, as it would a negligent speaker to express himself 
with accuracy and propriety. ^^ Choose that which is best ; 
custom will render it easy and agreeable." 



CHAPTEE X. 

01^ EEADIE^G. 

Having in a preceding chapter alluded to the neccessity of 
possessing a store of useful knowledge, w^e shall now speak of 
the means by which that knowledge is to be acquired. Much 
valuable information may be obtained by conversation itself, if 
you only know how to select companions, to listen with attention 
to what is said, and to lead the person with whom you converse, 
to the subject in which he is most interested, or with which, 
from his station, circumstances, or the direction of his studies, he 
must be best acquainted. This, however, is not always easily 
effected; but books, observation, and reflection, together with 
occasional lectures on the subject with Avhich you desire to be 
acquainted, will soon put you in possession of a large fund of 
information, which, by industry, may be daily augmented. 

Of all the recreations that can be enjoyed, or the sources of 
knowledge to which a young person may have access, books 
are, doubtless, the most innocent and valuable. No day should 
pass without profiting of the advantages which they afford. 
Your observation may be limited ; your opportunities of conversa- 
tion few ; your circle of intelligent friends small ; but books are 
always available. By them you are made acquainted with 
events that have occurred in the remotest times and most distant 
places; wdth the opinions and sentiments of the wise of every 
generation ; with the rise and fall of states, and the causes which 
have facilitated their progress or decline ; with the discoveries of 
science at every period of its history ; and the lives of individuals, 
who, by their abilities, prudence, or industry, have raised them- 
selves to eminence in their respective professions. By them, too, 
you are made acquainted with the history of religion in each 
successive age; with her glorious triumphs over the enemies 



I 



01^ READING. 387 

that have assailed her: with the actions of her illustrious chil- 
dreU; who, elevating themselves above the interests of this perish- 
able world, aspired to the glory of an eternal kingdom, leaving 
us in the remembrance of their virtue and its rewards, a power- 
ful incitement to imitate their example, that we may, hereafter, 
be made partakers of their happiness. By books, in fine, you 
receive light, instruction, and amusement, enriching your mind 
with the labors of those who have gone before us, and making 
your knowledge of their actions a guide to direct your own. 
The love of reading should, then, be fondly cherished, and some 
book kept always near at hand, to which your leisure moments 
may be profitably devoted. 

Additional profit may be derived from reading by taking 
extracts from the books you read, or again by writing doAvn the 
name of the book and noting its principal pages, that you may 
refer to them from time to time. An author has said that to read 
without writing is to be guilty of downright folly. 

The first and most important of all kinds of knowledge is that 
of religion. A young person should remember, that all his 
efforts in this world should tend only to the attainment of happi- 
ness in a higher sphere of enjoyment; and that all his acquired 
knowledge is but a faint, transient gleam, when contrasted with 
that flood of light w^hich shall be poured in upon his mind in that 
celestial dwelling where he shall see God face to face, and in that 
blissful vision eternally rejoice. He should, therefore, be well 
acquainted with the truths of religion, and the reasons on which 
they are based, that he may possess sufficient evidence of the 
truth for the perfect satisfaction of his own mind ; be prepared 
to give, on all fitting occasions, an account of the faith that is in 
him ; and be proof against the railleries of the scoffer and the 
sneers of the infidel. Nor should he confine his religious know- 
ledge to the doctrines of the Church alone ; he should, by the 
daily reading of some practical religious book, learn how to 
regulate his conduct ; and should endeavor to keep alive in his 
heart that spirit of piety and devotion, which intercourse with 
the world and the hurry of business are too apt to weaken. 

A young person, on leaving school, was placed in an office, in 
which conversations dan^^erous to faith and morals were of daily 
recurrence. In some instances he was directly and openly at- 
tacked for what were impiously designated the absurdities of his 
belief Fortunately for him, he had been well instructed in the 
truths of religion, and had, from childhood, been obedient to its 
dictates. His faith remained firm and his morals untainted in 
circumstances so trying, that one less instructed, or virtuous, 
might, in all probability, have yielded to their inliuence. He is 
now placed in a respectable position in society, and has been 
amply rewarded, even in this world, for his fidelity to the relig- 
ious principles, of which he gave this early proof. 

The next kind of information which a young man should seek, 
is that which immediately concerns his trade or profession, be- 



388 CHRISTIAN polite:n-ess. 

cause a thorough knowledge of his husiness, when combined with 
an upright character, is the surest means of attaining comfort and 
independence. To this, however, he should not confine himself. 
He should also endeavor to enlarge his mental sources of enjoy- 
ment, by the acquisition of a liberal share of literary and scientific 
knowledge. What a vast source of innocent and rational pleas- 
ures is thus laid open before him ! As soon as he has acquired 
the principles of science, and imbibed a taste for the beauties of 
literature, he cannot view a buildiug, look up to the heavens, or 
open a book, without experiencing a delight which, in a state of 
ignorance, he would never enjoy. 

It is to be regretted that young persons do not more generally 
appreciate the advantages of an early acquisition of knowledge. 
They waste time at the very period w^hen it can be most profit- 
ably employed ; when information may be acquired, and habits 
of study formed, which w^ould promote their welfare and happi- 
ness in alter-life. They cannot be too often reminded, that youth 
is the time in which know^ledge can most easily be acquired; 
that what is then learned, is always the longest retained ; and 
that the constant occupation of the mind in early years, is with 
the grace of God, one of the best preservatives of that pure 
morality without which neither wealth, station, nor intellect, can 
confer either happiness or genuine respectability. 

Parents and masters often discourage reading, under the 
pretext that it interferes Avith business. If the love of books 
degenerates into a passion, and if that time is spent in reading 
which should be devoted to the duties of one's calling, then such 
discouragement is perfectly rational ; but w^hen reading is con- 
fined to the hours not allotted to business, and that the books read 
are safe and unobjectionable, wdiat amusement can possibly be so 
harmless, nay, so useful f How many by reading have been con- 
siderably assisted in their trade or profession, and have thus laid 
the foundation of their future fortune ? 

A working carpenter has been known, who, having received a 
very limited education in his youth, rose every morning at an 
early hour, and, after morning prayer, devoted the time which 
intervened between that and the usual hour of w^ork, to studies 
connected w^th his trade, such as geometry, drawing, mechanics, 
and so forth. In a few years he, by his superior knowledge, 
raised himself to a state of comparative respectability, and in 
some time after, wdthout in the least interfering wath his ordinary 
avocations, he acquired so large a fund of valuable information, 
as to obtain from those who knew him, a high character for in- 
telligence. 



CHAPTER XI.— (Supplement AEY.) 

ON THE CHOICE OE BOOKS. 

In nothing, perhaps, does a young person stand more in need 
of a judicious and an intelligent friend, than in the selection of 



O]^ THE CHOICE OF BOOKS. 389 

books. On the choice made of them, depends the good or evil 
of which they may be productive. A great number of modern 
books contain gross misstatements regarding some of the im- 
portant events of our own and former times ; whilst a still 
greater number are replete with such autichristian and u-religious 
sentiments, that, to read them, is to expose faith and morals to 
the most imminent peril. At no period of life can such works be 
read without danger ; but in youth, particularly, before the 
mind is well grounded in solid principles, and the heart formed 
to the love and practice of virtue, awful, indeed, are the conse- 
quences to which the reading of them must lead. 

There are three classes of books, in particular, against which 
the youthful reader should be seriously warned: those that 
endanger faith ; those which corrupt the heart ; and, finally, 
those light, ephemeral, and worthless productions, which serve 
only to fritter away time, and unfit the mind for any serious 
study or occupation. 

Faith is the foundation of every virtue. " Without it, it is 
impossible to please God.^^ Its truths, resting on his veracity, 
require our entire and unwavering assent. Whatever tends to 
subvert or even weaken it, should be regarded with abhorrence ; 
and yet how many works calculated to destroy its influence, and 
shake our confidence in its evidences, are constantly issuing 
from an infidel press, and are seized with avidity by many of 
our youthful readers. 

The experience of the last eighty years furnishes ample 
testimony of the evils such books have caused : — the prospects 
of individuals blasted ; the peace of families destroyed ; the most 
horrible excesses perpetrated ; a mighty nation revolutionized ; 
the whole frame of society unhinged ; and the blood of Europe 
poured out upon her plains for a quarter of a century : — all 
feelingly convince us of the malignity of their influence. The 
youth who values his own happiness and that of society, or who 
is desirous of promoting his eternal interests, must never yield 
to the temptation of reading works of a dangerous or an irreligious 
tendency. 

Books which taint the purity of morals are many — even more 
numerous than those dangerous to faith. They can be procured 
in every city ; they often find their way even into the bosom of 
well-regulated families ; they arrest the attention of the youth- 
ful reader, inflaming his passions in the retirement of home, and 
instilling their poison so silently, yet so effectually, that they 
often corrupt their victim before he perceives their malignity. 
A boy, on leaving school, is remarkable for his modest and 
unassuming manners ; his respect and veneration for liis parents ; 
his affectionate kindness to his brothers and sisters ; his devout 
frequentation of the sacraments ; and his regular and edifying 
discharge of every religious duty. A change conies on ; the 
good impressions of his boyhood are gradually efl'aced ; his 
neglect of business becomes daily more apparent ; he no longer 



I 



390 CHIlISTIA:Kr POLITEIirESS. 

attends to his religious duties ; and^ in the end^ he becomes a 
reprobate. To one bad book, incautiously read, may be traced 
his first deviations from the path of rectitude in which he had 
trodden from childhood. Had some friendly voice been raised 
in time to warn him against reading that bad book, he might 
probably have persevered till death in piety and innocence. 

Nor it is alone against immoral works that the youthful read- 
er should be cautioned. The reading of light, frivolous, and 
trashy productions should also be discountenanced. Works of 
this character waste time, enervate the mind, unfit it for serious 
p.iid profitable study, and leave little behind, save a weakened 
memory, and an understanding ill suited to the realities of life. 
This is the more to be deplored, as there are so many works, 
such as history, biography, geography, and so forth, which con- 
tain a large store of information, and are at the same time highly 
interesting. 

A lady who gave much attention to the training up of her 
children, never permitted them, when the season of childhood 
was passed, to read works of fiction. She supplied them with the 
narratives jfrom the Holy Scripture, biographies of the good and 
the great, who might serve as models of virtue or of industry ; 
and gradually directed their minds to the study of scientific works 
suited to their youthful capacities. They grew up an intelligent 
and well-ordered family, remarkable for their good sense and 
practical intelligence. A reverse of fortune soon showed the 
value of the training they had received. Their education be- 
came to them a source of income, which enabled them to sur- 
mount with honor and independence the difficulties of their 
position. 

What books, then, may be recommended to the intelligent 
reader ? It is impossible, in a brief work of this kind, to point 
out all that may be found worthy of his perusal. 

Among the many religious works are : — Abp. Kenrick^s Vin- 
dication of the Catholic Church ; Writings of Fenelon ; Cardinal 
Wiseman's Doctrine of the Catholic Cliurch, and his Lectures 
on the Eucharist; Abp. Manning's Temporal Mission of the 
Holy Ghost ; Religion in Society, by Martinet ; Abp. Spalding-'s 
Evidences of Catholicity ; Father Hecker's Questions of the Soul ; 
Rome, its Rules and Institutions, by J. F. Maguire ; McLeod's 
History of the Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in North 
America ; Abb6 Orsini's Life of the Blessed Virgin, translated by 
Mrs. J. Sadlier ; Bossuet's Exposition of the Doctrines of the 
Catholic Church ; Dr. Challoner's Catholic Christian Instruction ; 
De la Salle's Duties of a Christian ; Faber's Bethlehem, Foot of 
the Cross, All for Jesus, &c. Gobinet's Instructions for Youth ; 
Introduction to a Devout Life, by St. Francis de Sales; Liguori's 
Christian Virtues, Glories of Mary, and The Commandments 
and Sacraments ; The Sinnei^s Guide, by Father Lewis of 
Granada ; Allies' See of St. Peter ; The Year of Mary ; Think 
well On't ; The Blessed Eucharist our Greatest Treasure ; The 



THE CHOICE OE BOOKS. 391 

Spiritual Combat; -The Following of Christ; The Lives of the 
Saints, &c., &c. 

These and numberless others of a like nature will instruct the 
reader in the doctrines of his religion^ and teach him its obligations 
and its practice. 

Some persons object to the Lives of the Saints, as a work of 
general instruction, because the actions therein recorded are not 
in some instances objects of imitation, and might deter ordinary 
Christians from entering on a life of piety. It is true, indeed, that 
God has raised up in his Church, at every period of her history, 
chosen servants, whose hei'oic deeds and noble sacrifices fill us 
with astonishment, but whose example, in many of their actions, 
we are not required, nor even permitted, to follow. The reading 
of their ^' Lives '' is, nevertheless, extremely useful. It shows us 
what weak nature, aided by divine grace, is able to accomplish; 
and it stimulates us to discharge with fidelity the comparatively 
little which God requires of us, in our respective stations, seeing 
how much has been done by persons like ourselves, to attain 
that everlasting happiness which we hope one day to enjoy. 
Hence it cannot fail to be productive of great and permanent 
advantages. 

Among the books containing much interesting historic and 
literary information are the following : Reeve's History of the 
Bible, and of the Christian Church; Darras' General History of the 
Church ; Spalding's History of the Reformation, and his Miscel- 
lanea ; Balmes' Protestantism and Catholicity compared ; Shea's 
Catholic Missions in the United States ; Marshall's History of the 
Christian Missions ; Bossuet's Universal History; Rollin's Ancient 
History ; Fredet's Ancient and Modern History ; Bancroft's 
History of the United States ; MacGeoghegan's, Haverty's, 
O'Halloran's or McGee's History of Ireland ; or again, the excel- 
lent Illustrated History of Ireland by a member of the Poor Clares; 
Lingard's History of England; Chateaubriand's Genius of 
Christianity, by Dr. White; Maguire's Irish in America; Father 
Meehan's Lives of O'Neill and O'Donnel ; Life of St. Patrick by 
an Irish Priest ; Life of St. Columba, and the Monks of the West, 
by the Count de Montalembert ; The British Catholic Poets ; 
Chambers's Cyclopaedia of English Literature ; Blair's Lectures 
on Rhetoric and Belles-Lettres ; Selections from Addison and 
other English Essayists. 

For an occasional reading during leisure hours, and so forth, we 
cannot too earnestly recommend the excellent monthly magazine, 
entitled '^The Catholic World." This periodical, so highly 
praised by the entire press of the United States, is a real treasure 
to all those who have the good fortune to be subscribers. 

The beautiful and entertaining histories to be found in 
the Illustrated Catholic Sunday-School Library, Brother 
Jame's Library, Young Catholic's Library, Sister Mary's 
Library, Sadlier's Fireside Library, Young People's Library, 
Parochial and Sunday-School Library, The Cottage and Parlor 



392 CHPvISTIAN POLITENESS. 

Library Slc, besides affording agreeable reading-matter, will 
leave salutary impressions on the minds of our youth who peruse 
them. 

The youthful reader should be warned against the ordinary 
fault of attempting to read many books. A few, well and 
thoroughly read, will supply him with more useful knowledge, 
and will prepare his mind better for future acquisitions, than a 
great number read cursorily and superficially. To read, then, 
with advantage, he should choose a judicious guide to direct him 
in the choice of books, and read none without having first 
ascertained their character. Above all, he should never read 
novels, romances, and the like. To peruse these and other light 
works that are being daily poured forth from the press, not only 
wastes time, but, what is far worse, as w^as'said on a preceding 
page, weakens the mind and tarnishes the soul. It is melancholy 
to think of the amount of trash over which so many fine intellects 
are constantly being debased. He should read slowly, attentively, 
with reflection, and something every day ; and though he may 
have but few books, and little time to devote to them, he will 
very soon acquire a large fund of knowledge, and be able every 
day to add to his intellectual store. 



OHAPTEK XII.— (Supplementary.) 

ON LETTER WRITING. 

So frequent are the occasions on w^hich it may be necessary to 
communicate our thoughts in writing, that young persons should 
spare no pains to acquire a facility in English composition. This 
facility is productive of many advantages. Besides the reflecting 
tone which it gives to the mind, and the great accuracy of expres- 
sion to which it habituates, it is highly gratifying to its possessor, 
a source of delight to those with whom he corresponds, and not 
unfrequently a means of contributing to his own personal 
advancement. 

A young man, possessing some knowledge of business, and 
nothing else, save a few letters of reference, entered one of our 
cities, a few years since, in quest of employment. Seeing in one 
of the newspapers an advertisement, announcing that an assistant 
was wanted in a mercantile establishment, he applied for the 
situation by letter, stating his capabilites for the vacant situation. 
On ascertaining that the candidate was the writer of the letter, 
the proprietor of the establishment at once engaged him. Another 
having *vvritten an article for one of the public journals which 
attracted some notice, obtained by its means, shortly after, a 
comparatively lucrative employment. Instances, too, have 
occurred in which, by means of written appeals, the interests of 
public and private charities have been materially promoted, and 
even human life preserved. 



LETTER WEITIlfG. 393 

The interchange of thought and feeling, of which letters are 
the medium, is productive of one of the most rational and 
delightful of our enjoyments. He who has felt the pangs of 
separation from home and kindred, can best appreciate the balm to 
the wounded spirit which an affectionate letter administers ; and 
they who have felt and mourned his absence, best can tell how 
great their delight to learn, from his own hand, that he is well 
and happy, after having escaped all the imaginary dangers which 
their affectionate anxieties had created. The pleasures and 
advantages, then, which letters afford, should influence youth to 
devote to this important and useful accomplishment some portion 
of the spring-time of life, when a chaste and beautiful style can 
be most easily acquired. 

To write well, two things are necessary : a knowledge of the 
principles of grammar, and some familiarity with good English 
writers. If a young man has not learned grammar at school, he 
should apply himself to study it. He who has no knowledge of 
grammar, can neither speak nor write without betraying his 
ignorance, and exposing himself to the sneers and derisions of 
the captious or the uncharitable ; and no amount of good sense 
can entirely compensate for the want of it. 

Among the several methods of acquiring a good and pleasing 
style, transcription is strongly recommended. Reproducing a 
paragraph from memory, immediately after having read it, then 
comparing it with the original, and continuing it until a near 
resemblance is produced, is another excellent means of attaining 
this object. This, however, requires patience, and a perseverance 
not always to be met with. The most practical method, provided 
the individual can spell correctly and construct sentences 
grammatically, seems to be, to write his own reflections on any 
subject he may have been reading, with such facts as may lead 
to its illustration. This, continued from day to day, can not fail 
to give great facility in the practice of composition, and would 
tend to fix permanently in the mind the subjects on which it 
had been exercised. 

The style should be simple, natural, and interesting, free 
from everything affected or pedantic, and suited to the subject 
and to the person addressed. With superiors, it should be grave 
and respectful ; with inferiors, affable and kind ; and with e<|uals, 
particularly our friends and kindred, it should be easy, lively, 
and agreeable. Our letters ought to faithfully express what we 
would say to our correspondents were we speaking to them. 
They ought, however, to be written in terms more polite, if 
possible, than those used in conversation, because in writing ^Ye 
can more easily weigh our expressions than in speaking. 

As to the arrangement : — If the letter is to be written on several 
topics, the most important should be reserved for the last, so 
that the interest of the reader nuiy be gradually increased, and 
carried to its full height towards the close. This, however, is 
subject to much modification, and must, in a greut measure, 



394 CHR1STIA]N" POLITEITESS. 

depend on circumstances, and on the turn of thought of the 
writer. When all the subjects are well considered before one 
begins to write, each will be likely to find its most appropriate 
place; and there will be no difficulty in the selection of suitable 
expressions, when a person possesses a clear view of his subject, 
and has been for some time exercised in the reading of good 
writers, or in the practice of composition. 

Letters of business should be short, precise, and unequivocal; 
no preambles, no long details, everything clearly and distinctly 
stated, so as to leave no doubt of the intentions of the writer, 
and no room for future misunderstanding or litigation. 

A letter requiring an answer should receive a prompt reply. 
On this point politeness requires despatch. 

The folding of a letter is a matter of consequence. The most 
convenient and most generally adopted is that of enclosing the 
letter in an envelope. In this case, the letter should be neatly 
folded to about the size of the envelope, and, when enclosed, 
sealed with red wax ; black wax is used when the writer is in 
mourning. Wafers are generally used for business letters. 

It may here be observed, that on no account should any one 
read a sealed or unsealed letter not addressed to him. The 
secret of letters is sacred. If a letter, addressed to another, be 
found open, the finder should seal it and forward it to the party 
addressed. You should not pick up a letter or other paper 
dropped in your presence, but merely point it out to its owner. 

From what has been said, it is abundantly evident, that the 
writer of a letter should consider well beforehand what he intends 
to write; should arrange his subjects in order, but without 
formality ; that the style should be simple, unaffected, and 
suited to the subject, the folding and the sealing neat, and the 
signature and address written plainly and legibly. Attention to 
these things in early life will soon be formed into a habit, and 
prevent much waste of time in after years. It will render his 
letter a welcome gift to his friends, and impress on his corre- 
spondents a favorable opinion of his politeness and ability. 



OHAPTEE XIII.— (Supplementary.) 
o:n' the choice oe companiois^s. 

Fortunate would it have been for many now living, had some 
warning voice admonished them, when young, to be careful in 
the selection of companions. All that has been said of books, 
may with equal truth be applied to associates. They influence, 
in a great degree, our temporal, and even our eternal, welfare. 
We adopt their principles, imbibe their sentiments, contract their 
habits, and often imperceptibly imitate their conduct. If good, 
they stimulate us to the practice of virtue; if bad, they draw us 
into the very depths of vice. It is related of a young man, that 
while at school he Dreserved an irreproachable character, but 



THE CHOICE OF COMPANIONS. 395 

mixing afterwards in bad society, he became notoriously wicked, 
and died in despair, refusing the helps and consolations of 
religion ; and of another, who having abandoned himself to a 
sinful life, was, without a moment's warning, struck dead in the 
midst of his excesses. Many of the evils existing among the 
younger portion of society, and many of the bad habits, and 
consequent misfortune of the more advanced, may, in some 
instances, be traced to the influence of bad company. 

Companions are frequently chosen on account of some agree- 
able qualities, and these sometimes of a very superficial and dan- 
gerous character; whilst those of intrinsic excellence, and which 
alone can render a companion truly valuable, are either forgotten 
or disregarded. A good and safe companion is indeed a treasure ; 
but, to be such, how^ many moral and intellectual qualities are 
requii'ed ! He should be a consoler in affliction ; a counsellor in 
doubt ; a shield in temptation ; a visible guardian angel — guid- 
ing, encouraging, and sustaining in the pursuit of virtue ; ever 
keeping, amidst the allurements of worldly vanities, the eye of 
his young associate turned to that '^ better laud," to which this 
is but a passage, and in which all his youthful sacrifices shall be 
recompensed with an eternity of happiness. 

A young person's first and most ordinary associates should be 
the members of his own family. He should study to make home 
agreeable to himself, and to each of its inmates, and be persuaded 
that the happiness which he there enjoys, is purer and better 
tlian any he can find elsewhere. How much may a young man 
do in the bosom of his family, particularly if he be one of its 
eider members, to promote its happiness, and contribute to its 
welfare. He can comfort his parents in their domestic cares and 
anxieties ; insti'uct and guide his brothers and sisters in the paths 
of virtue and of knowledge ; he can, by his kindness, courtesy, 
and polite attentions, increase the happiness of each individual 
member of the household ; and, by his encouragement of recip- 
rocal kindness, draw closer the ties of natural affection, which 
bind them all together. He can, at the same time, enjoy that 
purest of earthly delights, the consciousness of having discliargod 
an exalted duty ; and be a sharer, to a large extent, in the happi- 
ness resulting from the peace, union, and harmony which he will 
have been instrumental in establishing. Happy, indeed, the 
family that possesses such a member. He is precious as gold, and 
" as things brought from afar; " he is worthy tlie regard of angels 
and men. 

If, besides the resources of enjoyment which he has in his 
family and in his books, a young man seek otlier companions, he 
nuist be very select in his choice, if he would escape the dangers 
to which society exposes him. His com})anions must be few, or 
they will often prevent him from paying due attention to his 
business; not much above him in station, or they will lead him 
into extravagant expenses; free from ignorance or vulgarity, 
or he will soon abandon them, or reduce himself to their level; 



396 CHRISTIANS polite:s'ess. 

virtuous, or they will lead him into vice ; and practically religious, 
or they will^ by their maxims and conduct, draw him from that 
regular attention to religious duties, without which he cannot 
preserve the fiiendship of God, nor lay up treasures for eternity. 

Let the young, then, choose companions if they will, but let 
them be such only as are worthy of their esteem and confidence; 
such as will not only promote their welfare but contribute to 
their improvement ; and whilst adding, by their affectionate 
sympathies, to the pleasures of this life, w^ill encourage the dis- 
charge of those social and religious duties on which salvation so 
much depends. Examples of such companionship, though not 
ordinary, are yet sometimes found. 

Two young persons, Vv^ho had formed a strong attachment, 
read, every morning, a portion of the same book. When they 
met in the eveningthey walked together, and made theu' morning 
reading the first subject of their conversation. They thus ac- 
quired a large amount of useful knowledge, and were enlightened 
by each other's reflections. Their companionship became so 
great a source of delight to both, that they looked for no other 
beyond their respective families. They are now advanced in life, 
and both look back on the evenings thus spent, as the happiest 
in their life. Companionship such as this would be of inestim- 
able value. It w^ould enlighten the understanding, improve the 
heart, lay the foundation of virtuous sentiments and of peaceful 
and retiring habits. In such companionship there would be no 
loss of time, no neglect of business,no estrangement from family, 
no frequenting of taverns, no extravagant expenses, no danger of 
corruption, no risk of salvation, nor any of those vain, dangerous, 
and often criminal amusements, which the young unfortunately 
indulge in, and of which, Sooner or later, many become the victims, 

^^Let every one carefully avoid bad company,'' says M. Collet, 
•^for in bad company the innocent become perverse, and the 
wicked are confirmed in their disorders. Such as associate with 
the wicked must expect to be involved in their fate. 

•^ Be not deceived : evil coTJimunicatioiis C(yrrupt good manners, 
A little leaven corrupts the whole paste. The grace of baptism, 
vdiich has regenerated us ; the sacrament of confirmation, which 
has given us the Holy Ghost, with the abundance of his gifts ; 
penance, which, reestablishing our strength, has communicated 
to us a fresh supply ; the flesh of Jesus Christ, which, to speak 
the language of the holy Fathers, has deified us — all these favors 
have made us children of God, and placed between us and the 
children of darhness a barrier which shall subsist eternally. 
What agreement, then, can exist between justice and iniquity, 
between light and darkness, between Jesus Christ and Belial. 

" Rely not on your virtues, nor on the natural horror you 
feel for certain excesses. In a week or two, perhaps in a single 
day, or even less, the edifice w^hich you thought the most solidly 
established, may be undermined. 

**' Alipius, so celebrated in the ^Confessions' of St. Augustine, 



THE CHOICE OF COMPANIONS. 397 

had naturally an extreme horror of those cruel spectacles in 
which the Romans took a savage delight. Some young friends 
©f hiS; who, like himself^ w^ere studying the law, having met him 
accidentally, resolved to conduct him to the amphitheatre. They 
laid hold of him with that sort of violence which friendship seems 
to authorize ; but he said to them, ^ You may force my body 
and place me on the steps of the circus, but you cannot control 
either my mind or my eyes, which shall assuredly take no part 
in the spectacles. Thus I shall be there as if I were absent ; and 
. by this means I shall be superior to the violence which you offer 
me, and the passion which enslaves you.' Despite these protesta- 
tions, Alipius was dragged to the spectacle, and while the whole 
amphitheatre abandoned itself to these barbarous pleasures, 
Alipius forbade his heart to take any part in them, and kept his 
eyes shut. ^ And woukl to God,' says St. Augustine, to whom 
we are indebted for this account, ' that he had kept his ears shut 
also ; for, hearing a loud cry, he yielded so far to curiosity as to 
open his eyes ; but that was enough to inflict on his soul a far 
more deadly wound than that which a combatant had just then 
received.' Thus his heart, more presumptuous than strong, and 
weak in proportion as it relied on itself rather than on God, was 
in a moment grievously wounded. Cruelty crept into it at the 
bare sight of blood ; and Alipius, instead ®f turning away his 
eyes from the sanguinary spectacle, kept them fixed intently 
upon it. Drinking down ferocity in large draughts without 
perceiving it, he became intoxicated with this brutal pleasure, and 
was no longer the same man who had been carried thither by 
force, but a man of the same character as those who composed the 
assembly. He returned home with such ardor for these inhuman 
spectacles, that he longed for nothing more than to be present at 
them ; and not only was he desirous of going to the amphitheatre 
again, but he even conducted others to it. 

^^ ^ After such a relapse,' continues St. Augustine, ' what 
could help him to rise but the hand of thy mercy, O my God ! 
and this alone effected it. Thou didst teach him to confide no 
more in any other than in thyself, and never to depend upon 
his own strength ; but it was not till long after. However, he 
always preserved the bitter recollection of this occurrence, 
which, while it recalled to his remembrance his past weakness, 
served him as a preservative against future frailties.' " 

The pious and learned Eollin^ proposes the holy friendship 
which subsisted between St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Basil, for 
the instruction of young persons. *'They had," he says, ^^all the 
qualifications that make children amiable : beauty of person, 
charms of mind, mildness, and politeness of manners.^ 

''Their education was such as may be imagined in families 
where piety was hereditary, if I may be allowed the expression; 
and whose fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and grandfathers, 
on both sides, were saints. 

•* Belles-Lettres, vol. iv. 



398 CHRISTIAif POLITENESS. 

^' The happy dispositions with which God had been pleased to 
favor them, they cultivated with all care and assiduity. After 
they had completed their studies at home, they were sent separately 
into the cities of Greece, which were then m greatest repute for 
learning, and placed under the tuition of the most excellent 
masters. 

^' At last they met again at Athens. We know that this city 
was then the theatre and centre of polite learning and erudition. 
It was likewise, in a manner, the cradle of the renowned friend- 
ship which subsisted between our two saints ; and the following . 
extraordinary occurrence served very much to strengthen, con- 
firm, and perpetuate it. A strange custom existed at Athens 
relative to such scholars as were new comers. The students 
began by introducing them into a numerous assembly of youths 
like themselves, and there they exposed them to all imaginable 
raillery and insolence, after which they led them across the city 
in procession, conducted by all the boys, marching two by two 
before them. When they came to the place appointed, the whole 
company stopped, set up a loud shout, and acted as if they 
w^ould break open the gates. 

"When the new comer had there been admitted, he was 
restored to liberty. Gregory, who came first to Athens, saw 
how opposite this ridiculous practice would be to the grave and 
serious character of Basil, and having great influence with his 
companions, he got them to dispense with it in favor of his friend. 
^This it was,' says St. Gregory, in the admirable account he 
gives of the matter, Svhich began to kindle in us that flame which 
has never since been extinguished, and which pierced our hearts 
with a dart that is fixed there for ever. Happy Athens,' he cries 
out, ' thou source of all my felicity ! I went hither only to acquire 
knowledge, and I found there the most precious of all my 
treasures — an aflectionate and faithful friend.' 

" This relation, formed and begun as I have now mentioned, 
grew every day stronger and stronger ; especially when these 
friends, w^ho kept nothing secret from each other, reciprocally 
laying open their hearts, discerned they had both the same end 
in view, and sought for the same treasure, namely, wisdom and 
virtue. They lived under the same roof, ate at the same table, 
had the same exercises and amusements, and were, properly, 
speaking, one and the same soul ; ' A marvellous union,' says 
St. Gregory, ^wiiich cannot be really produced by any other 
than a chaste and Christian friendship. 

"^ We both alike aspired to knowledge — an object the most 
capable of raising sentiments of envy and jealousy, and yet we 
w^ere absolutely exempt from that subtle and malicious passion, 
and experienced no other than a noble emulation. Each of us 
had a higher sense of the glory of his friend than of his own, and 
sought not to gain the superiority, but to yield to the other. 

" 'Our principal study and only end was virtue. We strove 
to make our friendship eternal by preparing ourselves for a 



THE CHOICE OE COMPANIONS. 399 

blessed immortality, and bj withdrawing ourselves more and 
more from the things of this world. We took the word of God 
for our conductor and guide ; we served as masters and over- 
seers one to the other^ by mutually exhorting each other to the 
practice of piety ; and I might say that we were a kind of rule 
to each other, whereby to discern truth from falsehood^ and 
good from evil/ 

" ' We had no conversation with such of our companions as 
were rude, passionate, or immoral ; we associated only with 
such as by their modesty, circumspection, and wisdom, might 
assist and support us in the good designs we had formed ; fully 
avv^are that bad examples, like contagious diseases, are easily 
communicated/ 

" These two saints, as we cannot too often repeat to youth, 
were always distinguished among their companions by their 
diligence and labor, by the extraordinary success they had in all 
their studies, by the ease and readiness with which they acquired 
all the sciences taught at Athens — polite learning, poetry, 
eloquence, and philosophy. But they were still more distin- 
guished by the innocence of their manners, which was alarmed at 
the sight of the least danger, and dreaded even the shadow of vice. 

" A dream which St. Gregory had when he was very young, 
of which he has left us an elegant description in verse, contribu- 
ted very much to inspire him with these noble sentiments. As 
he slept he thought he saw two virgins, of the same age and of 
equal beauty, clothed in a modest manner, and without any of 
those ornaments of which ladies are usually fond. Their eyes 
were fixed upon the ground, and their countenance covered with 
a veil. ' The sight of them,' says the saint, ^filled me with joy, 
for they seemed to have something in them more than human. 
When I asked them who they were, one told me she was PitH^?/, 
and the other Continence ; both the companions of Jesus Christ, 
and the friends of those wlio renounced marriage to lead a 
heavenly life. They exhorted me to join my heart and mind to 
theirs, that being decked with the glory of virginity, they might 
present me before the light of the immortal Trinity. After these 
words, they flew up to Heaven, and my eyes follow^ed them as 
far as they could.' 

^' All this, indeed, was but a dream, but it made a lasting 
impression on the heart of the saint. He never forgot the 
agreeable image of chastity, and recalled it with pleasure. ^ It 
was,' he says himself, ' a s})ark of fire, which, increasing by 
degrees, enkindled in me the love of perfect continence.' 

" Botli Basil and Gi-egory had great need of this virtue, to 
defend themselves amidst the perils with which tliey were sur- 
rounded at Athens, which then, of all cities, })resented the 
greatest dangers to morality, on account of the vast concourse of 
ibi'eign students, who brought with them to this city theii' vices 
and irregularities. ^ But,' says St. Gregory, 'we had the happi- 
ness of experiencing, in that corrupt city, something like what 



400 CHRISTIAN POLITENESS. 

the poets tell of a river Tvhich preserves the sweetness of its 
waters amid the saltness of the sea, and of an animal which 
lives in the midst of fire. We shunned the conversation and 
society of the bad ; we knew only two streets in Athens — that 
which led to the church, and that which led to the schools. As 
to entertainments, spectacles, assemblies, and festivals, we were 
absolutely ignorant of them.' 

'^ One might naturally suppose that youths of this character, 
who kept aloof from society, w^ho took no part in any of the 
pleasures and diversions of those of their own age, and whose 
pure and innocent lives were a continual censure of the irregu- 
larities of their school-fellows, must have been disagreeable to 
them, and the object of their hatred, or, at least, of their con- 
tempt. It was quite otherwise, however : and nothing is more 
glorious to the memory of these two illustrious saints, nor, I 
would venture to say, reflects more honor upon piety itself, than 
such an event. Their virtue must indeed have been very pure, 
and their conduct very wise and discreet, thus to win for them 
the esteem, respect, and love of all their companions. 

'^ This was seen in a remarkable manner when it was reported 
that they were about to return into their own country. The 
grief was universal ; cries and lamentations were heard on all 
sides, and tears flowed from every eye. The people were about 
to lose the honor of their city, the glory of their schools. 
Masters and scholars, adding force and violence to entreaties and 
compliments, protested that they would noi consent to their 
departure. One of the two friends could not help yielding to this 
extraordinary solicitation, which might rather be called con- 
spiracy to detain him. This was Gregory; and one may easily 
judge how much he was concerned at it, 

" I question whether it is possible to imagine more perfect 
models for youth than those I have novr laid before them. In 
them we find united all the circumstances that can render youth 
amiable and estimable; — nobility of birth, great intellectual 
acquirements, and incredible ardor for study, wonderful success 
in all the sciences, polite and elegant manners, a surprising 
modesty in the midst of public applause, and, what infinitely sets 
off all these qualifications, a piety and fear of God which evil 
examples only improved and confirmed. We may read an 
admirable character of these two gi^eat saints in M. du Guet's 
Letters, expressly written for the use of the scholars who were to 
answer upon some of their discourses. 

^'Besides the examples of some illustrious Christian saints, 
such as the two I have mentioned, it may be proper for young 
persons to take a view of those that are to be found in the Holy 
Scripture, They will there find the youthful Samuel, by his 
piety and virtue alike agi^eeable to God and men. And the child 
Samuel grew up. and icas in favor ivith the Lord, and also with 
men* They will there admfre a holy king, who at eight yeai^s 
* 1 Samuel, ii, 26. 



THE CHOICE OF COMPANIONS. 401 

of age, following tlie example of David, was ever careful to 
please God in all he did. And he did that which was right in the 
sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of David his father.'^ 
They will there see Tobias, t after he had spent his youth in 
innocence, avoiding the company of such as sacrificed to the 
golden calves, showing nothing childish in his behavior, and 
keeping with all exactness the injunctions of the law from his 
infancy. They will, I say, see him educating his son in the same 
manner, by teaching him from his earliest youth to fear God, and 
abstain from every sin. They will be surprised to find, long 
before Christianity, a courage truly heroic and Christian in the 
seven brothers, the Machabees, who all died by the most cruel 
torments rather than transgress the law of God. We are ready 
to die rather than transgress the laws of God, received from our 
father's, t 

" But they must principally imbibe their sentiments from the 
very fountain of holiness and piety, that is, from Jesus Christ 
our Lord, who, to sanctify chilahood and youth, was pleased to 
become a child, and afterwards, to set an example to all persons 
of the several virtues which they should practise, by his exact- 
ness in going up to the temple at the appointed times ; by his 
diligence in hearing the doctors ; by the wisdom and modesty of 
his manners ; by his application to do the work of his Father, and 
to execute his orders w^ithout consulting flesh and blood ; by his 
perfect submission to his parents ; and lastly, by the care he 
took in showing before God and man, in proportion as he 
advanced in years, a visible progress in grace and wisdom, the 
plenitude of which he had received from the first moment of his 
incarnation.^' 

* 2 Kings, xxii, 2. t Tobias, i. J 2 Mac, vii, 2. 



THE SCHOLAR'S REGULATION. 
During Vacation, 



• Whosoever shall follow this rule, peace on them and mercy. 

(Gal., vi, 16.) 

Vacation being" a time in which scholars are greatly exposed to become re- 
laxed in their religious duties, and even to fall into the abyss of sin, a child 
will Tainly expect to remain faithful in the midst of the snares and tempta- 
tions that beset him on every side unless he is provided with a rule of conduct 
which will continually remind him of his duties. The following may be found 
beneficial : — 

EACH DAY. — 1. Rise early. Unless you are ill, never be found in bed 
later than six o'clock. Sleep taken by night reposes, that of the morning- 
enervates. Clothe yourself quickly and modestly ; never appear in the pres- 
ence of others until you are decent'l}^ dressed. 

2. Say your morning prayers without delay. Prayer, according to St. 
Augustine, is a golden 'Key that unbolts the gates of Heaven. Never leave 
your bedroom before having acquitted j^ourself of this first duty of piety. 

3. If in your power, assist at Mass every morning ; this will draw down 
Heaven's choicest favors on yourself and your parents. Let no day pass by 
without rendering your tribute of honor to the Blessed Virgin ; for this end 
saj' the " Hail Holy Queen," the " Memorare," your beads, etc. You should 
also be specially devoted to St. Joseph, your Guardian Angel, and Patron 
Saint. Ask of God, through their intercession, the grace to know your 
vocation. {See Sr. Pathick's Manual on the Study of Vocation, page 374.) 

4. Allot a portion of each day to serious study : if you neglect this, the con- 
SfHjuence shall be — a loss of knowledge, a disg-ust for study, an affection for 
itileness, and so forth. 

5. Be exact to say grace before and after meals : observe the rules of etiquette 
at table, which are to be found in Chap. VI. Christian Politeness. 

6. Make a short lecture every day in some pious book When we pray, 
says St. Ambrose, we speak to God, and when we read books of piety God 
£l>eaks to us. (See Christian Politeness, Chap. XI, on the choice of books.) 

7. Finish the day by the evening prayers and examination of conscience. 
]f the laudable practice of saying the prayers in common is not the custom, 
rt'tlre into your chamber to acquit yourself of this duty. 

EACH 'week. — 1. Sanctify the Sunday and Holidays by pious and 
charitable works. Make it a conscientious duty to assist at the Parochial, or 
High Mass. Listen to the sermon with the greatest attention. How agree- 
able to see a boy on returning from Church, being able to repeat almost all 
tLat the priest has said in his sermon. 

2. Never absent yourself from Catechism or Vespers When a legitimate 
cause prevents your attending, supply the omission by prayers and pious 
reading. 

EACH MONTH. — 1. Approach the sacraments of Penance and Eucharist 
as often as during the scholastic year. Prepare yoi*self most diligently for 
their reception {See ST. Patrick's Manual, pages 73 and 119.) 

2. On the day you have the happiness to communicate, avoid all distract- 
ing company and amusements. Frequently raise your heart to God in short 
acts of thanksgiving; and, if possible, pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament 
towards evening. {See ST. Patkick's MANUAL, page 258.] 



THE scholar's REGULATION. 403 

DUTIES IN THE FAMILY CIRCLE. — 1. Entertain a sovereign 
respect for your beloved parents : consider their company as the centre and 
principal source of your happiness during- vacation. ATitici])ate their ewevy want, 
and make it j^our agreeable duty to execute their behests with the utmost 
alacrity. Beware of imitating those wicked children who, instead of being the 
joy and bliss of their parents, are a source of sorrow and affliction to them. 

2. Receive their counsels, admonitions, and so forth, as coming from God. 
whose representatives they are. 

3. Never dare to pass the slightest censure on their conduct ; if you be- 
lieve it blamable, leave all to the judgment of God and pray with more 
ardor for their eternal salvation. 

4. Let the greatest harmony reign between you and your sisters and brothers. 
If older than they, you should be an angel of peace in their midst, — consol- 
ing them in theu* little troubles, instructing them in their duties, and edifying 
them at all times and on all occasions. 

GENERAL DISPOSITIONS.— 1- Remember that there is no vacation in 
the service of^ God, and that we owe Him at all times, respect, gratitude, and 
love ; for He loves us, blesses us, and continually takes care of us. 

2. Remember, also, that the devil takes no vacation ; that he prowls in- 
cessantly about us like a roaring lion ; and that he can be overcome but by 
prayer, humility, diffidence in self, and confidence in God. 

3. Avoid idleness. "In doing nothing," says Seneca, "we learn to do 
evil." The time of youth is too precious to be spent in indolence. Labor is 
a noble flower from which we may expect the richest fruit. 

4. Associate with those persons only who are of orderly habits : shun such 
as are too loose in conversation, such as use unbecoming words, or that profess 
maxims little in conformity to the spirit of the Gospel. See Chap. XIII, Christian 
Politeness on the " Choice of Com.panions." 

5. If you have the misfortune to commit any grievous fault, delay not to 
confess it. When poison has remained for some time in a vase, it infects it to 
such a degree that it becomes almost impossible to purify it. Exactly the 
same happens to the soul that has become the abode of mortal sin. Confess, 
then, immediately, and defer not j^our return to God until the reopening of 
the school, and still less till the time of the retreat- Make known to your con- 
fessor all your pains and temptations that he may prescribe the proper 
remedies. 

6. If you M^ould avoid sin, flee the occasions thereof. A dangerous com- 
panion is the right eye, the right hand, that you must pluck out, or cut off, 
and cast far from you. Keep strict watch over j^our senses ; they are the doors 
through which the demon enters and destroys the soul. 

What a thrice happy vacation shall the child spend who is faithful to these 
advices ! What consolation for his beloved parents, and edification for his 

companions ! How abundantly he shall be rewarded for the little 

sacrifices he will have made ! When vacation is over, with what earnestness 
he shall return to his studies, his conscience unsullied, his heart at liberty, his 
Boul in peace. Of such a child we may truly say : " He shall be like a tree 
planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in due season." 
( Ps. i, 3. ) 



DECLARA^J.^ION OF INDEPENDENCE. 



Ik" Oo:n^giiesS; July 4, 1776. 

The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United 
States qf America, 

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary 
for one people to dissolve the political bands which have 
connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers 
of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of 
Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the 
opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes 
which impel them to the separation. 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, — that all men are 
created equal ; that they are endowed by their Creator wdth 
certain unalienable rights ; that among these are life, liberty, and 
the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, govern- 
ments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from 
the consent of the governed ; that whenever any form of govern- 
ment becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the 
people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new govern- 
ment, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its 
powders in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect 
their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that 
governments long established should not be changed for light 
and transient causes ; and, accordingly, all experience hath 
shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are 
sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to 
W'hich they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses 
and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a 
design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, 
it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide 
new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient 
sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity 
which constrains them to alter their former systems of govern- 



DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 405 

ment. The history of the present king of Great Britain, is a 
history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct 
object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these 
states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. 

He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and 
necessary for the public good. 

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and 
pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation, till his 
assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has 
utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass 
other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, 
unless those people would relinquish the right of representation 
in the legislature — a right inestimable to them, and formidable to 
tyrants only. 

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, 
uncomfortable, and distant from the repository of their public 
records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance 
with his measures. 

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for oppos- 
ing, with manly firmness, his invasions on the rights of the 
people. 

He has refused, for a long time after such dissolutions, to 
cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, 
incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large, 
for their exercise; the state remaining, in the meantime, 
exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and con- 
vulsions within. 

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states ; 
for that purpose, obstructing the laws for naturalization of 
foreigners ; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration 
hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands. 

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing 
his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers. 

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the 
tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their 
salaries. 

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither 
swarms of officers, to harass our people, and eat out their 
substance. 

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies 
without the consent of our legislatures. 

He has affected to render the military independent of, and 
superior to, the civil power. 

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction 
foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; 
giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation : — 

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us : 

For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for 
any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of 
these states : 



406 DECLARATIOl^r OF INDEPEI^DEl^rCE. 

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world: 

For imposing taxes on us without our consent : 

For depriving us^ in many cases^ of the benefits of trial by 
jury: 

For transporting us beyond seas, to be tried for pretended 
offences : 

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighbor- 
ing province^ establishing therein an arbitrary government^ and 
enlarging its boundaries, so as to render it at once an example 
and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into 
these colonies : 

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable 
laws, and altering, fundamentally, the forms of our governments: 

For suspending our own legislatui-es, and declaring themselves 
invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. 

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his 
protection, and waging war against us. 

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our 
towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. 

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign merce- 
naries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, 
already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy, scarcely 
paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the 
head of a civilized nation. 

He has constrained our fellow-citizens, taken captive on the 
high seas, lo bear arms against their country, to become the 
executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves 
by their hands. 

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has 
endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers the 
merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare is an 
undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions. 

In every, stage of these oppressions, we have petitioned for 
redress in the most humble terms : our repeated petitions have 
been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose 
character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, 
is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. 

Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. 
We have warned them, from time to time, of attempts by their 
legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We 
have reminded them of the circumstances of oar migration and 
settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and 
magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our 
common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would in- 
evitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They, 
too, have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. 
We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity which denounces 
our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind — 
enemies in war, in peace friends. 

WE, therefore, the representatives of the United States of 



DECLARATIOIS' OF INDEPEITDENCE. 



407 



America, in general congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme 
Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the 
name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, 
solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and 
of right ought to be, free and independent states ; that they are 
absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all 
political connection between them and the state of Great Britain 
is, and ought to be, totally dissolved ; and that, as free and inde- 
pendent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, 
contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts 
and things which independent states may of right do. And for 
the support of this decla,ration, with a firm reliance on the protec- 
tion of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our 
lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. 

JOHN HANCOCK 



New Hampshire. 

JOSIAH BAETLETT, 
WILLIAM WHIPPLE, 
MATTHEW THOENTON. 



Massachusetts Bay. 

SAMUEL ADAMS, 
JOHN ADAMS, 
EOBEET TEEAT PAINE, 
ELBEIDGE GEEEY, 



Bhode Island, <&€. 

STEPHEN HOPKINS, 
WILLIAM ELLEEY. 



Connecticut. 

ROGEE SHEEMAN, 
SAMUEL HUNTINGTON, 
WILLIAM WILLIAMS, 
OLIVEE WOLCOTT. 



New Jersey, 

EICHAED STOCKTON, 
JOHN WITHEESPOON, 
FEANCIS HOPKINSON, 
JOHN HAET, 
ABEAHAM CLAEKE. 



Pennsylvania. 

EOBEET MOEEIS, 
BENJAMIN EUSH, 
BENJAMIN FEANKLIN, 
JOHN MOETON, 
GEOEGE CLYMEE, 
JAMES SMITH, 
GEOEGE TAYLOE, 
JAMES WILSON, 
GEOEGE EOSS. 

Delaware. 

CESAE EODNEY, 
GEOEGE EEAD, 
THOMAS M1<:EAN. 



New YorJc. 

WILLIAM FLOYD, 
PHILIP LIVINGSTON, 
FEANCIS LEWIS, 
LEWIS MOEEIS. 



Maryland. 

SAMUEL CHASE, 
WILLIAM PACA, 
THOMAS STONE, 
CHAELES CAEEOL, 

of Carroll ton. 



408 DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 

Virginia, South Carolina. 

GEORGE WYTHE, EDWARD RUTLEDGE, 

RICHARD HENRY LEE, THOMAS HEYWARD, Jr., 
THOMAS JEFFERSON, THOMAS LYNCH, Jr., 
BENJAMIN HARRISON, ARTHUR MIDDLETON. 
THOMAS NELSON, Jr., 
FRANCIS LIGHTFOOT LEE, 

CARTER BRAXTON. ^ 

Georgia, 

North Carolina, BURTON GWINNETT, 

LYMAN HALL, 
WILLIAM HOOPER, GEORGE WALTON. 

JOSEPH HEWES, 
JOHN PENN. 



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